


A Different Story

by GoldenWooly



Series: A Different Story [1]
Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Canon Divergent, Gen, In which case Princess Yona is not saved by Hak, Universe Alteration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-30 17:17:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 72,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3945103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenWooly/pseuds/GoldenWooly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Son Hak may not have been there to help Princess Yona escape from Hiryuu Castle, but a certain yellow dragon bound by an ancient pact was.<br/>---<br/>"Zeno was the dragon born to be your shield. My name is Ouryuu Zeno, miss, one of King Hiryuu's dragon warriors."<br/>The night stretched on, Zeno remaining awake, listening to the owls hoot. He kept quiet, carefully holding Yona close when her breathing picked up, when she began to shake. He couldn't stop any nightmares, nor did he wish to. They were important to her.<br/>"If Ouryuu protects you," he whispered quietly, a smile slowly growing as Yona's nightmares seemed to fade, "you will never get hurt..."<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Night History Changed

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Una historia diferente](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4542546) by [narutinachan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/narutinachan/pseuds/narutinachan)



He wanted to wait much longer than he had.

He had wanted to see the young girls intentions, to see what she had planned to do. Zeno had every intention of waiting for the girl to become older, to see the hardships of Kouka, to learn what was going on around the kingdom King Hiryuu had worked so hard to create. Maybe with all that knowledge she would try and shake the country enough that everyone would reform, would become just like it was all those centuries ago. He had every intention of waiting just a little bit longer, of watching his reincarnated king grow more, learn more about the kingdom she was destined to rule over. He truly did. But he never anticipated her cousin to strike down her father, or for him to have the guard turn on his beloved king

He should have anticipated it.

Instead, Zeno watched in a mix of blind panic as she tried escaping, arrows chasing her, hunting her down. His mind raced as he tried formulating a plan, wanting to scream at the guard to stop shooting Hiryuu. No one had tried to help her escape, either, and he found his resolve to wait completely vanished as he rushed in, grabbing her arm carefully, leading her away to safety.

"Ah!?" She had gasped as Zeno appeared from no where, her purple eyes widening, alarm colouring her face. "Who are-!?"

"Hold on, miss," he spoke quickly, pulling her close, watching as an arrow whizzed past her head.

 _This is bad_ , his mind screamed as he ran off, making sure his king was beside him, _so very bad._

They ran through the castle court yard, Zeno fully prepared to throw himself in the way of any arrow that came towards them. The gates, of course, were blocked, but this was Zeno, and he knew every single way in and out of this castle. Hiryuu himself had made sure of it, had shown him the blueprints, pointing out various entrances and exists to the castle (a document Zeno made sure to take with him when he left all those years ago). The girl asked, several times, what he was doing, questioning why he was leading her this way.

"Zeno is getting the miss to safety," he would reply, pausing and pushing some bricks out of place, gently pushing his king through the opening he had made in the wall. "The miss has to trust Zeno, okay? He promises to keep her safe."

She fell silent as she broke free of the wall, Zeno right behind her, the dragon pushing her onward into the night, whispering gentle words of encouragement for her to continue towards the trees. He was sure she would be exhausted soon, but he wanted to get her as far away from the castle as he could before she collapsed. The guard, he noted, hadn't pursued them, were probably still searching the castle over for the princess. Hopefully they would be long gone by the time they would think to search beyond the walls.

Zeno kept the princess moving, kept whispering to her to continue onward. She was crying, the tears streaming down her face as she stumbled forward, tripping over various roots. He smiled slightly.

"Zeno's not strong enough to carry the miss to safety," he told her, gently encouraging her. "Just a little more, then we can rest, okay...?"

"O-okay..." She muttered, trying to calm herself, rubbing at her eyes. "Why... Are you helping me...?"

"Zeno would never let King Hiryuu die," he replied simply, pausing for a moment before leading her over to the base of a tree. "Here, the miss can rest now, Zeno will keep watch."

She leaned against the tree, allowing herself to slide down and sit, drawing her knees close to her. Zeno watched as she shivered, quickly pulling his cloak off and wrapping it around her shoulders. He sat beside her, pulling her close to him, hoping he would be warm enough to keep the chills away.

"Miss?"

"My name is Yona..."

"Ah, okay. Yona? We have a really long journey ahead of us, okay?" Zeno began, rubbing Yona's sides gently, attempting to create more warmth for her. "Zeno wants to take you to the Priest, and then we have some friends to pick up afterwards..."

"Friends...?" She asked, looking at him in concern.

"They'll help keep the miss safe, Zeno promises, okay?" He offered her a grin, watching as a smile seemed to slowly form on the girls face. "Zeno knows the miss'll be consumed by grief for a while," he continued, glancing ahead of them into the woods. "Zeno's been there. He won't question if Yona suddenly demands that we stop so she can cry a little. Zeno'll join her, okay?"

She nodded slowly, yawning a bit. Her head dropped against his shoulder, the princess attempting to relax herself enough to sleep. "We need... To go back for Hak..."

"Your bodyguard?" Zeno asked, Yona nodding slowly. "Ah, Zeno wishes they could. It'll be tricky for him to go back to the capital after he helped you escape, and very dangerous for you, too."

"He's my bodyguard...!" Yona protested with a yawn, looking at Zeno with a frantic expression. Zeno winced slightly, nodding slowly.

"Zeno know's that, but again, it'll be impossible," he explained. "Besides, Zeno will be your bodyguard. Zeno promises he'll be much better."

"You said you couldn't carry me!"

"Ah hah, you got Zeno there! But," his voice grew quiet, Yona's eyes closing before her breathing evened out, the princess slowly drifting to sleep. "Zeno was the dragon born to be your shield. My name is Ouryuu Zeno, miss, one of King Hiryuu's dragon warriors."

The night stretched on, Zeno remaining awake, listening to the owls hoot. He kept quiet, carefully holding Yona close when her breathing picked up, when she began to shake. He couldn't stop any nightmares, nor did he wish to. They were important to her.

"If Ouryuu protects you, though," he whispered quietly, a smile slowly growing on Yona's face as her nightmares seemed to fade, the girl seeming to settle into a deeper sleep, "you will never get hurt..."


	2. Dawn

The sun began to rise, bathing the dense forest with its warm golden glow. Zeno yawned a bit, sighing as the sun shone right in his eyes, the boy rubbing them in slight annoyance. He stretched his free arm, the other one still securely wrapped around Yona’s shoulders. The girl was still sleeping deeply, her chest rising and falling in slow breaths. A part of Zeno figured nothing would be wrong with letting her sleep a little longer, seeing as no one had chased them last night, but another part was screaming at him to get them moving. It was too early in the game to tell if the Princess’s cousin would send anyone after them, and as he thought about it he knew he couldn’t take any chances.

 _Yona needs to speak to the priest first,_ Zeno thought, yawning slightly as he gently shook the girls shoulder, waking her. _She_ _should learn the story of the four dragons, and hopefully he’ll tell her to find the other three…_

 _Hakuryuu, Seiryuu, and Ryokuryuu… It’s been so long_ …

“Zeno…?” Yona asked, tiredly rubbing her eyes. She sat up slowly, freeing Zeno’s arm in the process, stretching herself with a drowsy yawn. “What…?”

“Zeno thinks we should get moving!” He hummed, keeping his voice low and soft. “Zeno isn’t sure if Yona's cousin is coming after us or not, and we have a very long journey to find the priest.”

“Why the priest…?” She asked, watching as the dragon jumped up quickly, stretching his legs. With a grin Zeno offered his hand to Yona, helping her get up.

“Well,” the yellow dragon began, pasting a smile on his face. “Zeno believes that in times of need it’s a good idea to speak with one who can hear the voice of the Gods! Zeno used to be a priest, actually!”

“Ah? Really?”

“Yes! So, Zeno thinks talking to a priest would be good for the miss!”

She nodded slowly, plucking the pin that had been in her hair out, staring at it. Zeno watched her, grimacing slightly as tears began welling up in her eyes. If he wanted to get any progress towards the mountains today, he had to keep her mind off what had happened the night before, and yet a part of him didn’t want to do such a thing. What had happened last night would be vital in helping her grow, but right now…

“Hey, miss, let’s get moving, okay?” He asked, gently taking her hands in his. “We need to put as much distance as possible between us and the castle as we can…”

“Ah, okay…”

He led her off after that, speaking quietly as they hurried through the trees. Occasionally she would request to stop, the princess rubbing her feet with a soft huff, muttering about how sore they were. Just as often would she pause and seem confused about where they were, until memories would flash back into her mind from the night before, betrayal flashing in her eyes. It took Zeno a lot of coaxing to keep her moving, a lot of soft whispers of encouragement for her feet to move forward.

They travelled for a few days in the silence, only stopping when night fell, Zeno making sure Yona would be safe as he would attempt to find food for the two of them. He would come back each time to the girl crying, just barely audible, the dragon forcing the brightest smile he could as he would approach again. He would talk as he prepared the food, keeping the princess’s mind from what had happened, speaking gently. At night they would sit together, Zeno holding her tightly as she slept, frowning as the nightmares took over, and whispering gently to her in encouragement for her to get over the dreams that were terrorizing her.

Eventually, they found the trees thinning, the ground becoming solid rock. Zeno paused with a grimace, quickly pulling his cloak off and passing it to Yona, pulling his scarf off from around his neck and wrapping it around her head.

“Ah!?” Yona exclaimed, blinking in surprise. “What are you doing…?”

“We’re getting close to an overpass we need to get through,” Zeno responded, making sure the scarf was wrapped securely around her hair. “If your cousin sent anyone after us, or if anyone from the Fire or Sky tribe saw you, it would end with us having to escape, or we would be captured.”

Yona’s eyes grew wide in alarm, silently putting his cloak on, watching as he fixed the scarf around her head. “Would Soo-Won really…”

“He might. Zeno’s not sure, so Zeno has to take precautions…” He stepped back, nodding at his handiwork. Yona’s hair, for the most part, was covered, as was her dress. “Ah, Zeno thinks the first chance we get the miss should change her clothes… They’re beautiful, but with the travelling we have to do…”

The girl nodded slowly, tugging on the scarf. After a moment’s pause Zeno turned, taking her hand and leading her carefully through the remainder of the trees. He pulled her close, glancing around them for any potential threats that could arise. There was none at the moment, but that could always change in a seconds notice.

They remained silent as they walked, the sun beating down upon them. Several times Zeno had to catch Yona from tripping, the girl mumbling in annoyance. He couldn’t help but sigh, worry settling in his chest. He could protect her easily, but at what cost? She would find out about his power as Ouryuu before he was ready to show her, but if it came to it that would be his only option.

It took Zeno a split second to realize something was off, the dragon grabbing Yona in alarm, pulling her out of harm’s way just as an arrow hit the ground where they had been standing.

“What was that?!” Yona yelled in shock, her eyes wide as she looked in the direction the arrow came from. Zeno narrowed his eyes as he spotted a soldier of the Fire Tribe, holding the princess close to him as he backed up.

“We’re under attack, miss!” He told her, shifting his weight to lead her towards shelter. “Quick, follow me!”


	3. Crossroads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Murky for beta reading!

They ran forward, arrows whizzing past. Zeno kept Yona close to him, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, the boy huffing in annoyance. How they had found them here, he wouldn’t know. It was perplexing, and without a weapon on him (he knew he should have bought at least a dagger), it would be difficult to protect his beloved king without her finding out about his ability. He wasn’t even sure which group of soldiers this was either, if it was the kings soldiers or a tribes.

“Just stay close to me, miss!” He instructed, skidding to a halt as the arrows seemed to die down. With a quick glance behind him he determined they were a fair distance back, making him relax. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a break in the rocks, relief shooting through him as he carefully pushed the girl into a crevice in the rocks.

“What are you doing?!” Yona demanded, staring at Zeno with panic, allowing herself to stumble forward. She spun around to face him, the boy giving her a bright smile.

“Zeno thinks the miss should hide for a little bit!” He told her, raising a finger to his lips in an attempt to convince her to lower her voice. “You see, Zeno thinks this is either the Fire or Wind Tribe after us, since we’re so close to both borders.”

“If it’s the Wind Tribe, Mundok should-”

“If it’s the Wind Tribe they would still attempt to capture the miss and take her back to the castle,” he interrupted, watching as Yona seemed to grow pale in the face. “The miss needs to trust Zeno right now, okay?”

“O-okay….”

He smiled brighter, turning to leave, mentally preparing himself for what was ahead, no doubt it involving his scales appearing.

“Zeno!”

Zeno paused, glancing back at Yona as her voice rang out, the girls face determined. Her eyes seemed to be consumed with fire, her lips pressed together.

“You come back!” She demanded, clenching her hands into fists. “You come back to me without any injuries, you understand!?”

For a moment he forgot this was the princess, and not Hiryuu. He nodded slowly in surprise, stumbling back before regaining his composure. “O-of course! Zeno wouldn’t dream of not coming back, miss! Just leave it to him!”

With a grin to Yona he darted off, feeling his chest tighten. She was Hiryuu's reincarnation, there was no doubt about it. That aside, she reminded him of all the people he wanted to protect and couldn’t, all the people he wanted to save but had no power to do so.

“I will definitely protect you, miss…” Zeno’s voice was quiet as he skidded to a halt, shifting his weight to stand tall as the soldiers approached him.

“Halt!” A voice called, the owner stepping forward. His hair was half pulled into a bun, the rest down. He was dresses in the Fire Tribe’s colours, pulling a sword from its hilt.

“Eh? But Zeno is already halted?” The dragon replied, giving him a confused look. It took a moment for him to be surrounded, the leader approaching.

“Do not sass me!” He exclaimed, huffing in annoyance. “Do you know who I am!?”

“Eh, no, but Zeno has a feeling you’ll tell me anyway.”

“I am Kun Tae Jun! Second son of the Fire Tribe General!”

“Yup, Zeno was right.” Shifting his weight he crossed his arms, watching Tae Jun in amusement. He kept track of the soldiers surrounding him out of the corner of his eyes, counting.

 _There’s ten, no, twenty of them…?_ He thought, frowning slightly. _I can’t kill any of them, just leave them weakened, injured… I need to get back to Yona quickly…_

“Are you listening to me!?” The second son yelled, clenching his hands in frustration. Before Zeno could respond he aimed his sword at him, startling him. “It matters little, anyway! Just tell us where you hid the Princess!”

“Why would Zeno do such a thing as that?” The boy huffed, eyeing the sword in annoyance. “Zeno is under the impression the whole country was out for royal blood.”

“How dare you suggest that! Kill him! Then search the mountains for the princess!”

* * *

_Trust Zeno, trust Zeno…_

Yona pressed her palms onto the rocks she was leaning against, her mind racing. He told her to trust him and remain put, and that’s what she was going to do. He told her he would come back, and she prayed he would.

Her mind was still racing, memories from the events just days before plaguing her mind.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she was left to the silence, a distant clamour of swords reaching her ears. A cold panic slowly filled her as she realized Zeno didn’t have a weapon on him, and that the metal clangs she heard must be metal on metal as they sliced him open, cutting him down.

“That… That can’t be it…” She tried reassuring herself, the tears streaming down her face. “He has to be okay…”

A part of her wondered why she trusted him so easily. He had come from out of nowhere that night, his brown eyes warm and inviting, whisking her away to safety. He had kept her safe as they travelled, and now…

Now he was most likely being killed because of her.

“Find Princess Yona!”

She froze at the voice, pressing herself closer to the rocky wall. The voice belonged to… Tae Jun, right? What was he doing here? At this point, she definitely did not want to be found….

“And that boy?”

“Let the soldiers deal with him. He’ll be dead soon enough. We may even be rewarded for killing the Princess’s kidnapper!”

_No!_

Dread filled her body, cold panic drenching her as she looked past the opening in the rocks, spotting Tae Jun. Kill Zeno, the man that rescued her!? She clenched her hands into fists, trying to keep quiet.

 _He promised he would come back…!_ She thought, focusing on the sky behind Tae Jun, forcing herself to remain calm. _He promised!_

 _And yet, what if he doesn’t? He told me to remain here, but he’ll surely die if he keeps protecting me…_ Yona rested her head against the cold stone, forcing her breathing to remain light. _If I’m to be sheltered like this, surely, surely Zeno won’t have long to live, would he…?_

_No!_

Yona clenched her jaw, pushing herself from the rocks, darting out of hiding.

_I refuse to let him sacrifice himself for me!_

* * *

Zeno dodged the swords, one after another, the smile remaining on his face. He refused to allow himself to be touched, skillfully dodging each arrow, each swing of a sword. It had been years since he had entered any sort of combat, but the rhythm of it remained the same.

Only this time he was trying to avoid injury while tiring out the soldiers.

“He won’t stand still!”

He was proud of the fact that the soldiers were growing frustrated with him. He was doing his job right, and if he could manage to keep it up he could return to Yona’s side with little to no injury, just as he promised. A quick moment and he shifted his weight, crouching down to avoid a sword, jumping up quickly, breaking through the soldiers that surrounded him.

“Zeno is confused!” He spoke as he landed a safe distance away, watching the soldiers faces grow wide in shock. “He thought the soldiers’ leader told them to kill Zeno!”

A moment later and he realized how stupid he had been. Sure, he had broken free of the soldiers, but his back was to a cliff, with only ten feet keeping him from falling. Thankfully, some of the soldiers had been worn out, collapsing on the ground, and yet a few remained, panting heavily as they glared at Zeno.

Not that he blamed them.

Zeno offered the remaining soldiers a grin, stepping back slowly as they approached. They seemed to have noted the cliff behind him as well, and were most likely going to attempt to push him off.

Out of the corner of his eyes he spotted Yona’s red hair, dread settling in his stomach.

“WHY DID YOU COME OUT?!” he yelled, alarm thick in his voice.

* * *

Yona spun around, spotting Zeno on the cliff. Her eyes widened in alarm as an arrow shot him, the girl freezing as he seemed to stumble back, attempting to rip the arrow from him.

“Yes! The arrow was poisoned!” Tae Jun exclaimed, his expression growing into one of delight. “Just a little more! Fall into the fiery pits of hell, you vile kidnapper!”

Zeno stumbled, finally slipping over the edge of the cliff, his startled yells filling the air. Yona watched as he grabbed the edge, holding on, soldiers slowly advancing.

 _He’ll die!_ Yona thought, tears springing into her eyes. _If this keeps up, he’ll… He’ll surely…_

She turned on her heel, determined to go to Zeno’s side, to help him in any way she could.

“Princess! Please wait!”

A moment later and there was a sharp tug on her head, the scarf Zeno carefully wrapped around her hair being pulled with her hair, pulling her backwards.

“Ah!”

“Princess!” Tae Jun’s voice called out. “I can’t let you go to that kidnapper’s side!”

Yona wanted to scream at him.

“You’re coming back to the castle with me!”

Out of the corner of her eye Yona spotted a sword at Tae Jun’s side. Without thinking she grabbed it, unsheathing it as the man looked on in confusion. She pulled the sword up, slicing her hair and the scarf, freeing herself from his grip. With a shift of her weight she darted away, clenching the sword tightly in her hands.

 _I won’t let them kill you…_ She thought, _not ever!_

She raced forward, approaching the soldiers who seemed to enjoy taunting Zeno with their sword on tip of his fingers.

“Get away from him!” She yelled, the soldiers jumping startled, turning to eye her in confusion. “Get away from Zeno!”

“Princess…” A soldier began, looking at her in confusion. Yona darted forward, pulling the sword down, a grin of satisfaction settling on her face as the soldier seemed to back away from the edge of the cliff, away from Zeno.

“Get away!”

“Princess behave yourself!” He demanded, raising his sword, shifting his weight in order to attack.

“Stop!” Tae Jun’s voice seemed far away to Yona as she stood her ground, holding the sword high as she kneeled down. “Don’t hurt the princess!”

“But…”

“Miss…”

Yona turned to face Zeno, the boy’s face turned into a frown.

“Zeno!” She exclaimed, dropping the sword as she shifted her weight, extending her hands to him. “I’m here to help now!”

She grabbed his hand in both of hers, gripping it tightly as she tried to pull him back onto level ground.

“Miss, please! Hurry and run away!” Zeno pleaded, attempting to scramble back up. “Zeno will be fine, he promises! Get as far away as possible!”

“No! Never!” She retorted, shaking her head as she struggled. “I would never forgive you if you died! You promised you’d keep me safe!”

A voice yelled out from behind them. Yona panicked, leaning over too much. Zeno noticed this, his eyes growing wide in alarm as she toppled over the cliff, the boy pulling her close as they fell into the void.

* * *

_“Long, long ago…"_

A voice came from somewhere, Zeno was sure of it. Somewhere in the vast, blackness he was currently stuck in.

_“The big red sun had been devoured…”_

_Are they singing,_ he wondered, squeezing his eyes tightly. Yona was in his arms, was still warm and breathing, and for a split second it was all he could care about.

_“The world was then covered in darkness…”_

_What a grim and miserable song,_ he grumbled, his mind growing foggy, the boy slowly drifting back into an unconscious state. _Who would sing such a gloomy song?_

_“Ah... What a pain… A couple of people have kicked the bucket.”_


	4. The Bottom of the Valley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to cynicwithatwist on tumblr for being an awesome beta reader!

“Lord Soo-Won!”

Soo-Won turned around in confusion at the call of his name, watching as Son Hak approached him, the adviser, Kye-Sook, on his heels as well. The Wind Tribe general had a sour expression on his face, one that had been there since Princess Yona's birthday, no doubt still irritable over the fact that it had been several days since the event. Several days, and no word on the Princess’s whereabouts. Soo-Won could understand Hak's annoyance, the man being Yona's personal body guard appointed by the late Emperor. He forced a smile, greeting his friend.

“Yes, Son Hak?”

“Kan Tae-Jun is here to see you,” the general grumbled, gesturing behind him as the mentioned man hurried to catch up, glaring at Hak. “Dunno why, though, he said it was urgent.”

“Oh!” Soo-Won exclaimed, bowing slightly to the guest. “My, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Master Tae-Jun!”

“You really shouldn't have to bow to him…”

Soo-Won waved Hak's comment off, smiling at Tae-Jun. “What brings you here today?”

With his attention off of Hak, Tae-Jun’s expression changed into one of somber grief, the man bowing deeply to Soo-Won, holding some folded fabric out to him. “Princess Yona… Has died.”

“What?!” Nothing Soo-Won could have done would have kept Hak quiet, the man snatching the fabric from Tae-Jun’s hands instantly, ripping it open. He watched as red hair was revealed, both men staring at it in shock.

“On the border of the Fire and Wind… In the northern mountains we pursued a strange blond man and Princess Yona…” Tae-Jun continued to speak, lowering his head, Soo-Won unsure of in grief or some other emotion. “We assumed he had kidnapped her, and we nearly had them, but… The two of them fell to the bottom of the valley…”

“What? They fell from that cliff…?!” Hak's voice was loud, the general grabbing the front of Tae-Jun’s clothes and pulling him towards him, his expression dark and unreadable. “Lord Soo-Won gave the order to inform him if Princess Yona was found! And of ALL the things you could have done, you chased her and ended up killing her?!”

“This,” Kye-Sook, who had remained quiet up until this moment began, looking at Tae-Jun with a grave expression, “is a big act of treason, Master Tae-Jun.”

“That’s right... I killed her…”

“Damn straight you killed her!” Hak growled, clenching Yona's hair in his hand, turning to Soo-Won, almost as if he was asking for permission to hit Tae-Jun. Soo-Won shook his head slightly, forcing himself to remain calm.

“Please pass your judgement on me…”

“Lord Soo-Won?” Kye-Sook asked, glancing at him.

He was quiet. Princess Yona, dead? It was hard to even imagine it. He certainly couldn't. Looking at Hak, it was hard to tell if he believed the Fire Tribe general's son or not, despite the rage clear on his face. Taking a deep breath, Soo-Won shook his head, giving Tae-Jun a calm look.

“Rest at the castle for today,” he told him, lifting his hands and pressing them together in the folds of his robes, watching as the three faces in front of him changed into shocked expressions. “I want you to attend the coronation ceremony tomorrow.”

“No!” Tae-Jun exclaimed, shaking his head as he stepped forward, Kye-Sook holding his hands out to prevent him from advancing. “Punish me! Please!”

“Soo-Won?!” Hak asked, turning to him, anger colouring his face. Soo-Won shook his head, gesturing for Hak to follow him as he turned to leave.

“Follow me, Hak. Kye-Sook, please see to it that Master Tae-Jun is comfortable for his stay,” he ordered, beginning to walk away. Hak hesitated a moment before he obeyed the order, stepping beside him quickly as they walked. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Soo-Won, the two leaving the shouts belonging to Tae-Jun behind.

“Are you crazy?!” The general asked as they walked, glaring at the soon to be king. “Wait, no don’t answer that, it’s clear that you are!”

“Calm down, Hak, I have a reason… I don’t believe in unnecessary punishment…” He replied calmly, holding his hand out for the fabric and the remainder of Yona's hair. “I don’t believe he intentionally killed Princess Yona.”

“How do we even know if she was killed…?” Hak mumbled, passing him the token, twitching slightly. “Maybe I should go search the valley, maybe she’s alive and hurt… Emperor Il left Yona in my care, I betrayed him…”

“Hak, enough,” Soo-Won ordered, folding the fabric up again, holding it tightly. “There is no time to go searching the valley, not with the coronation tomorrow… I need you here, at the castle, as the general of the Wind Tribe.”

“But Yona could be-”

“Princess Yona is to be assumed dead.”

Silence fell between them. Hak glared at him, his hands twitching as if he was wanting to hit him. Truth be told, Soo-Won wouldn't blame him if he did. His actions led to this outcome, led to Yona falling off of the cliff. If anyone killed her, it was him. After a moment Soo-Won turned, sighing softly.

“… Come,” he spoke, breaking the silence. “We have lots to do to prepare for tomorrow…”

* * *

  _Drip._

Something wet touched Yona's face, the girl struggling to open her eyes. Her entire body ached, her memory foggy from what had happened. The bright light of what seemed to be the sun made her vision blurry, made it difficult for her to see.

_Drip._

After a moment her vision cleared, the visage of a boy standing over her, squeezing a sliced orange in his hands above Yona's mouth. It took a moment for him to realize her eyes were open, the boy blinking in surprise.

“Ah, you're awake,” he commented, lowering his hands as he shoved the slice into Yona's mouth. “My hands were getting tired, eat this yourself.”

She coughed slightly, more out of surprise at the sudden fruit in her mouth than anything. The boy shifted his weight as he leaned over what seemed to be a make shift bench, picking up some herbs as he placed them in what Yona guessed was a mortar, picking up another instrument in order to crush them.

“…Hoo a oo?” She attempted to ask, chewing the orange slowly. The stranger turned to glance at her, the hint of a smile barely noticeable.

“I’m Yoon,” he introduced, returning his focus back to the things he was grinding up. “I’m just a good-looking guy passing through. You can forget that.” He paused for a moment, turning to point the tool he was holding at her, a confused look spread across his face. “Anyway, who are you guys? You don’t look like bandits, but you’re quite persistent if you’re still alive after falling from that cliff.”

“Cliff…?” Yona asked, shifting to sit up, her head beginning to throb with a dull ache. “Ow, ow…”

Yoon rolled his eyes as he began focusing on whatever was in the mortar, the sharp sounds from it filling the room. After a moment Yona gasped, startling Yoon, the events replaying in her mind.

“That’s right.  We… Zeno!” She nearly yelled, sitting up instantly, her eyes wide in alarm. “Where’s Zeno?!”

“Zeno?” Yoon asked, looking at her with a confused frown. “Oh, you mean that blond haired guy that was with you? He’s over-”

“Miss!”

She felt a force suddenly knock into her, a gasp of shock escaping her as a pair of arms seemed to wrap themselves around her, hugging her tightly. She turned her head, relief flowing through her as Zeno was beside her, from out of pretty much nowhere. Without warning he tightened his arms, causing a slight pang of pain in her side, the girl wincing, her companion loosening his grip slightly, but barely.

“What is that guy made out of…?!” Yoon asked, shifting his weight and leaning back as he watched them hug, a look of confused disdain spreading on his face. “It looked like he was shielding you as you fell, and yet when I go to treat him nothing is wrong! He’s perfectly fine! He should be critically injured, or something! There’s a tear in his clothes on his shoulders but his skin is perfectly fine, to boot!”

“Zeno is really sturdy!” The boy enthused, giving Yoon a bright smile. Something about knowing Zeno was around made Yona feel instantly better, the girl relaxing in his arms.

“Clearly,” Yoon replied dryly, giving Zeno a flat expression. “How else would you have survived. Anyway…” He glanced at the two of them, frowning ever so slightly. “… What are you two even doing here…? Are you lovers that ran away from home, or something?”

“No!” They both replied in unison, shaking their heads.

“The miss is very super important to Zeno!”

“Zeno saved my life!”

“Ah.” The answer itself seemed to bore Yoon, the boy shifting his weight and getting up, dusting his knees off. “Okay, I see then. You two are idiots.”

“Anyway…” Yona mumbled, glancing at the boy, a frown on her own face. She looked around the room, attempting to orientate herself with the surroundings. “So then this is the bottom of the valley…? Do you live here?”

“Yeah.” Yoon responded, pausing to look at her in a fit of confusion. “I do, why?”

“The miss is looking for someone!” Zeno’s voice was loud, almost as if it was currently stuck on enthusiastic mode. Yona winced slightly, the boy sitting on the floor to her left seeming to realize his voice caused the pain and moved away, just a little. “We just aren't sure where to look, exactly. Maybe the lad can-”

“Yoon! _Yoon!_ ”

The fourth voice startled Yona, the girl looking up as an older man ran over to them, mud covering his body. His eyes were covered in a pale blond hair, pulled back into a braid.

His appearance was rather amusing to her.

“Hold it,” Yoon sighed, giving the newcomer a flat glare, gently kicking his foot out in an attempt to keep the man away. “Jeez, why are you covered in mud? Don’t come near me like that, okay?”

“While I was praying to the heavens for everyone to be happy,” the man began, his voice quivering slightly at the gesture, shying away from Yoon's foot, “I slipped and fell…!”

“You’re such a pain!” The boy groaned, shaking his head. “The heavens have deserted you!”

“That’s harsh…!”

Yona and Zeno remained silent, watching the odd display of what Yona guessed was their form of affection. A quiet chuckle seemed to escape Zeno, though, Yona quickly ushering him to be silent.

“Oh! You woke up!”

The man turned to Yona, a bright smile that could rival Zeno’s spreading across his face. “Thank goodness! How do you do? My name is Ik-Soo, I’m kind of like Yoon's guardian! Isn't he something special, healing you up?”

“I’m…” Yona paused, a thought forcing its way into her head. _I shouldn't reveal my identity, even though they don’t seem like bad people… this place is still close to the land of the Fire Tribe…_

“You've really…” Ik-Soo's voice startled her from her silent debate, the girl looking at him in surprise. Tears had seemingly sprung from his eyes, streaming down his cheeks from behind his bangs. It was quite a sight, in Yona's opinion. “Suffered a lot, haven’t you…?”

She fell silent, shaking her head slightly. “… No, I haven’t. Zeno's protected me, so…”

“No, I meant from the time you made the decision to start your trip.”

“… Huh? What trip?”

“Even more so for a person like you, Princess Yona,” Ik-Soo's voice was calm, almost too calm, a smile plastered on his face, the tears from before magically vanished.

“… Hold on, how did you know about me…?” She asked, turning to look at Zeno with an accusing glare. The blond shook his head frantically, mouthing ‘wasn't me’ to her.

* * *

 “God told me tha…”

“Are you stupid?” Yoon interrupted, glaring at Ik-Soo with a heavy sigh. “There’s no point in living in seclusion if you tell others so casually… You really can’t tell a simple lie, can you…?”

“Ah hah, the voice of the gods, right?” Zeno quickly asked, leaning forward with a smile. It took Ik-Soo a moment to process Yoon and Zeno’s comments, an aura of panic spreading from him.

“Shoot, I wanted to look proper and neat when I greeted the princess…”

Yona stared at him, her eyes wide in shock.

“You’re… the Priest Zeno mentioned…?”

Zeno watched as Ik-Soo nodded slowly, a smile gracing his face. So this man heard the voice of the gods, he thought, watching as he began speaking with Yona, shifting his legs and crossing them under him, humming to himself.

How long ago had it been since he heard the voice of the gods?

“…So you knew I would be coming here, too?”

“Yes!” Ik-Soo exclaimed, nodding quickly, his hair bouncing with the rhythm of his head. He knelt in front of Yona, lifting his hands in prayer, the smile remaining. “It is my job to convey the voice of God to everyone. I pray for everyone to find happiness. God teaches me everything about this world.”

Zeno nodded slowly, hoping it appeared to Yona as if he was listening.

“What job?!” Yoon demanded, grabbing the clothes of the kneeling priest, attempting to pull them off. “You don’t make any money. You do nothing but kneel every day! And you’re muddy to boot, take these off so I can clean them! You were driven out of the castle,” he continued, throwing a robe at him, shaking his head, “because claiming to hear the voice of God was suspicious in the first place!”

“Why was he driven out…?”

Zeno turned to face Yona, unable to contain the surprise in his face.

“I’m rather shocked,” came Yoon's reply, his voice heavy with accusation towards the girl. “You lived in the castle, and you don’t know? How typical… You haven’t even said a word of thanks to me yet, either. Have you thanked this guy for even saving your life?” Yona was silent as he spoke, Zeno wincing at the boy’s words. “Have you ever said thanks in your entire life?”

He had gotten up and left at that point, Yona remaining where she was, seemingly frozen in shock. After a moment she struggled to get up, determined to follow him, why, Zeno wasn't quite sure.

He wondered what Yoon had against Yona, a girl so innocent of the grief that spread through Kouka.

“… Zeno, was it?”

“Ah!” Zeno paused and glanced up, smiling brightly as Ik-Soo seemed to still be standing nearby, the priest shifting his weight to once again kneel across from him. Zeno wondered when he had gotten up, shaking the thought quickly from his head as he nodded enthusiastically.

“Mmh!” He responded, tilting his head to the side. “What can Zeno do for the priest?”

Ik-Soo remained silent for a moment, almost as if he was trying best to figure out how to respond to Zeno’s question. After a few seconds he looked at him (Or at least, Zeno was certain he was looking at him, it was hard to tell with his bangs over his eyes.)

“I was just wondering…” Ik-Soo finally began, a small smile forming on his face. “What Ouryuu was doing with Hiryuu so early in her journey?”

Zeno froze, staring at him in shock. He found himself laughing, shaking his head in amusement. “Ah hah, the priest sure is smart! Zeno is indeed Ouryuu, one of the four dragon warriors of King Hiryuu.” He frowned a little as he thought over Ik-Soo's question, tilting his head to the side. “And… It wasn't Zeno’s original plan… The miss needed help escaping, and Zeno couldn't resist helping his king.”

The priest smiled softly, nodding his head slowly. They fell into a sort of silence, the distant voices of Yoon and Yona seeming to drift on the wind. Zeno let out a sigh, shifting as he got up, stretching his arms.

“Zeno is going to help the miss on her journey,” he stated, not quite looking at Ik-Soo, perhaps speaking out loud to himself. “He will do everything his king asks him to do.”

“She has a loyal warrior.”

“Zeno isn't really a warrior, though. Zeno is Zeno. Perhaps he could be, but it is not a party trick people tend to like very much.” He waved a hand, wiggling a finger as if he was in mid thought about something. After a moment he turned to face the priest, a serious expression on his face. “Though, Zeno would like to ask the priest to share the voice of God with the miss. He hasn't heard their voices in a very long time, and so he doesn't know what they have in plan for the miss.”

“Ah…” Ik-Soo seemed to pause for a moment, nodding slowly. “If she wishes to hear the voice of God, I will convey it to her. Though, what does Zeno mean…?”

“Anyway!” The dragon cheered, clapping his hands. “Zeno is famished! Would the priest know if there's any fruit trees nearby, or anything he could eat? Zeno is hungry a lot, you see!”


	5. The Voice of God

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks to CynicWithATwist on Tumblt for beta reading!

The day passed quickly, both Yona and Zeno attempting to get to know their hosts. It hadn't taken much effort for either of them to become friendly with Ik-Soo, but for Yona it seemed that she couldn't seem to get on Yoon's good side. Zeno watched her with a worried frown, instantly offering her a hug when the boy had once again ignored her, walking away with what appeared to be an annoyed huff.

“Don’t worry so much, miss!” Zeno assured her, hugging her tightly. “Some people can’t be won over so easily! Zeno knows, he spent a long time trying to win over an old friend of his.”

Yona would agree each time, but each time Zeno knew it bothered her, upset her. He sighed, ruffling the girl’s hair.

“Zeno will be right back!” He told her, giving the brightest smile he could before walking off quickly, his steps making soft thumps on the ground.

Part of the reason Yoon disliked Yona so much had to be the fact she was sheltered royalty. Innocent of the deeds her father had done, innocent of the poverty he had created. And yet, with her escape of the castle, there was still time in which she could learn how to change what her father had done, change the kingdom for the better. Zeno was sure of this, was sure this was the reason his beloved king had been reincarnated. There was no other possible explanation why.

A fragrance drifted through the air, causing Zeno to stop short, involuntarily drooling. _Was the lad cooking?_ He wondered, spinning around and following his nose, making his way to the smell of the deliciousness being cooked. Food would be a good idea, especially for Yona to eat. She was a growing girl, after all, she needed to eat big meals to grow strong. At least that’s what Guen had said about him, that he was a growing boy with a big appetite. The same idea applied to Yona, doesn't it?

Sure enough as Zeno approached the source of the amazing smell Yoon was bent over a pot, mumbling to himself as he added ingredient after ingredient into it, stirring it slowly.

“Zeno didn't know the lad could cook!” He enthused, bounding over quickly as Yoon jumped in surprise dropping the spoon, turning to give Zeno a sharp glare.

“Don’t sneak up on me!” He ordered, picking the spoon up again as he stirred the pot's contents. “Of course I can cook, I’m a handsome genius! I can do almost anything, except fight.”

“Well,” Zeno responded, leaning over the pot a bit to survey its contents. “Zeno believes you! This smells amazing! Zeno didn't realize how hungry he was until he smelled the delicious food the lad was cooking!”

The comment seemed to please Yoon, the boy smiling a bit as he stirred, falling silent. Zeno watched him, shifting his weight to kneel down beside him, changing his attention to instead stare at the pot.

“… Zeno has a question for the lad, though.”

“My name is Yoon, you know.”

“Ah hah, Zeno knows that!” The dragon laughed, shaking his head. “Zeno was wondering why the lad was so hostile towards the miss.”

“I hate the king and his family.”

The statement shouldn't have surprised Zeno. Quite a lot of people in Kouka didn't really like Emperor Il, couldn't care less for the royal family because of him, though that didn't give them a reason to hate Yona as well. Silence fell for a few moments, Zeno shaking his head.

“Zeno can understand the hatred towards the Emperor,” he began, glancing at Yoon. “But the miss was innocent to his actions. She has been chased out of the castle for things she didn't cause.”

“She’s still a part of the problem.”

“Eh, perhaps. But she didn't know any better.” It was hard for someone who grew up with nothing but pampering to understand the hardships of living in poverty. “Zeno grew up in a very poor village, but he doesn’t blame the miss for what has become of Kouka. The miss was purposely sheltered from all the cruel realities of life by her father, and now that she’s out on her own, struggling for her life, she can finally begin to learn what it means to truly be alive.”

Yoon was silent. A part of Zeno hoped it was his words that caused the younger boy to not speak, to hopefully sit in quiet thought.

“Why are you following her?”

“Ah? Zeno will follow the miss wherever! Zeno promised her a very long time ago to protect the miss, even if she doesn't remember it now.”

“So you’re childhood friends?”

“No, not quite, Zeno met the miss a very long time ago.” He shook his head, smiling brightly at the fond memories of King Hiryuu. “The miss might not remember meeting Zeno, or the promise, though. Zeno does.”

Yoon looked at him, a frown set on his face. “You’re a very strange human being.”

“Ah hah, Zeno tries!”

“That wasn't a compliment you freak! Now get out before I decide not to feed you!”

Zeno scampered up, darting away from the boy with a laugh as he threatened him, running out of any potential flying hazards way.

* * *

 “Lord Priest?”

The sky was still dark, Yona pausing as she spotted the priest kneeling on a rock ledge. Zeno was beside her, whatever he had been going on about (perhaps it was where they should go next, she wasn't paying much attention) halted, his eyes on the priest.

“Ah… Princess Yona…” Ik-Soo stated, turning to glance at her. Yona froze as she spotted the tears streaming down his face, just like they had earlier that day.

She led Zeno over to the priest, tilting her head as she looked at the older man in concern. “What’s wrong?! Is everything okay?”

“Oh…” The priest rubbed his eyes, shaking his head slightly as he gazed out into the empty space the ledge hung over, looking at something that Yona couldn't see. “I had a dream about you. About you and this world.” He fell silent, Yona unsure whether or not she should speak. After a few moments Ik-Soo spoke again, his voice quiet. “Princess Yona, would like to hear the voice of God?”

Silence fell between them, the princess glancing at Zeno as he nodded slowly, giving her a meaningful look.

“The voice of God may have an idea of what the miss should do, and where Zeno should take her,” he reasoned, a smile forming on his face. “Zeno thinks it would be a good idea to see the path that the miss is supposed to take.”

“Ah…” Yona sighed, pausing as she thought, glancing between the two men. “Is this path something that someone has to show me…?”

Ik-Soo turned to face her, his expression unreadable. Zeno remained silent, watching her, almost lost in deep thought.

“I didn't really do anything, and I honestly thought of just sitting and doing nothing…” The princess continued, her voice low, full of thought. “But… Zeno and I were pursued… I could have sworn we were going to die… And now I…”

Thoughts from before, from when they were on the cliff returned to her. Zeno telling her to hide, Zeno being shot, them falling…

“I want to live.” Yona finally stated, nodding her head slowly with resolve. “Whether if it’s my life, or if it’s Zeno’s life… I will never let anyone take it. Ever. And right now, that is all I want. To ask that of God is…”

“…No.”

There was a rustle behind them, Yoon must have joined them, perhaps to yell at them for being out so late. Yona looked at Ik-Soo startled, Zeno whispering something that must have been a greeting to Yoon. The priest shook his head, returning his gaze to the empty void ahead of him, his voice quiet.

“In the case of you wanting ‘to live’, it’ll be different from living a normal, peaceful life. If you live on, the land of Kouka Kingdom will tremble…” A breeze picked up, seeming to swirl around them, a gentle mist rising from somewhere. “And will be swept into the tempest.”

“Lord Priest…?”

“If you just desire to live straight on ahead, if you want to live in this unstoppable scorching wave of bloodshed, I will convey the voice of God to you.”

The stars above seemed to twinkle as Ik-Soo raised his hands in prayer, turning his face upwards as he inhaled, exhaled, almost preparing himself to speak again. “ _Darkness has fallen upon the land. The blood of the dragons will be revived once again, and the ancient pact will be kept. When the four dragons are gathered… The sword and shield which will protect the king shall awaken… And the Red Dragon shall restore the dawn at last._ ”

Silence fell again, a moment later the priest slumped forward with a slight groan, Yoon rushing forward to catch him before he fell off the ledge. “C… Conveying the voice of God really takes a lot out of me…”

“What a bothersome old man!” Yoon scolded him, shaking his head in annoyance as he attempted to get the older man upright, checking his forehead with a grumble.

“That prophecy just now…” Yona muttered, Zeno pausing to glance at her. A few moments of Yoon's scolding went by as she thought, both him and Ik-Soo turning to look at her. “Was it referring to the Red Dragon which appears in the legend about the king?”

“… Do you know about the legend of how this country was created?”

“Oh! Oh Zeno knows!” The boy enthused, throwing his hands up excitedly, his voice much louder than it should be. “It’s a story about the Red Dragon God that took on a human form and descended from the heavens and fell to Earth in order to rule a country!” Yona looked at him with surprise, watching as he suddenly became animated as he told the story. “That was Kouka Kingdom’s first king, King Hiryuu!”

Ik-Soo nodded slowly, a frown settled on his face. “However, in the end even King Hiryuu, who had obtained the form of a human, started fighting against humans.”

“Right! Because the hearts of the people began to grow wicked, and because they forgot God, the country began to decline!” Zeno’s voice still held the enthusiasm, almost as if he was proud to be telling the story. There was a glint in his eyes, Yona noted, almost as if he was remembering something nostalgic, something he held dear to him. “King Hiryuu was also captured by those who desired his power of authority, and it seemed as if everything was destroyed at once.”

It was incredible watching the boy retell the story, Yona decided, almost entranced by his words. He was enthusiastic about it, adding voices for each of the dragons the legend told of, for King Hiryuu, almost a longing look in his eyes.

“The dragons still loved Hiryuu as well and didn't want to lose him. So in order protect Hiryuu, the blue, green, yellow, and white dragons gave their blood to human warriors and gave them their powers!” He seemed to falter for a moment, as if recalling a bad memory, shaking whatever it was off before continuing. “One was given sharp claws that could tear anything apart. One was given eyes that could see far off into the distance. One was given a strong… Body… That could never be injured. The last one was given legs that could jump high into the skies.”

Once again Zeno paused, pressing a finger to his chin as he thought, his eyes clouded with an unidentifiable emotion. “The warriors… That obtained the power of the dragons each lead their tribes, protected Hiryuu, and quelled the country’s chaos. It wasn’t long before the Red Dragon went to sleep, weary from all the battling. As for the four dragon warriors, their mission had… Ended… The four dragon warriors thought of their king who would no longer move and mourned. They didn't know whether they were grieving because they had lost someone special, or if the blood of the dragons within them was mourning the death of Hiryuu. After that…”

Zeno’s voice faltered, the boy shaking his head quickly as if he was trying to prevent himself from crying.

“After that,” Yona picked up, reaching out and gently rubbing his shoulder, a concerned look crossing her face as tears streamed down his face, the boy trying to rub his eyes and stop the tears. She would have to ask him why he was so effected by the story, but at a much later date. “The four dragon warriors saw that their powers far exceeded what humans possessed. It’s said they each left their tribes, went their separate ways, and disappeared.”

“The tribes they left behind progressed further than what they originally were and became what are now the five tribes.” Ik-Soo finished, clapping his hands together, paying no certain mind to the boy in tears. Yona paused, glancing at him, a frown once again forming on her face.

“So… What does the legend of how the country was created have to do with me?”

“You said you wanted to live, right Princess Yona?” She nodded, her frown deepening. “But you can’t live alone. If you leave here, those after your life will pursue you again. The person who is by your side and supporting you is-”

“That would be Zeno!” The blond interrupted, waving his sleeves a bit to dry them, the tears wiped away.

“Right, Zeno. At this rate, he will not be enough to support you, and you both will die.” Zeno coughed at the comment, mumbling something Yona couldn't hear. She stared at Ik-Soo in shock, biting her lip. “You will need other comrades.”

“But who…?”

“Simple,” Ik-Soo replied, his voice calm. “Go and search for the four dragon warriors.”

“You mean the four dragon warriors exist?!” The girl exclaimed, her eyes lighting up instantly.

“That’s impossible, they’re just a legend…” Yoon grumbled, watching as Zeno began shaking his head, the medallion that hung from his headband swinging back and forth with his hair.

“Of course they exist!” Zeno scolded him, an unusually stern expression growing on his face. “Did you think that was really just a legend? It really happened!”

“Exactly,” Ik-Soo agreed, a secret smile gracing his lips, tilting his head just slightly to look at Yona. “Even now, they are in this country silently living with the inherited blood of the dragons. They may lend you their power.”

“But… Lord Priest… Would the dragons of legend lend their powers for such a personal reason, such as living…?” Feelings of uneasiness grew in her stomach, the girl shaking her head.

“It’s a miracle you narrowly-”

“Hey! Zeno doesn't think narrowly is the right word!”

“… It’s a miracle you were able to escape from the castle. It’s a miracle you fell from these cliffs and are safe and sound. Actually… I think it wasn't just a miracle, but rather fate that led you here. If you can find the four dragons of legend, it simply won’t be due to your personal reasons but due to fate.”

The group fell silent, Ik-Soo's voice filling the night, weighing heavily on them. Zeno shook his head out of the corner of Yona's eyes, a frown on his face.

“However, the heavens can only show you the path to take. Whether you walk that path is up to you.” The priest commented, shaking his head slightly, a moment later slumping back into Yoon's arms, a quiet comment on how much he’d spoken escaping his lips.

“Jeez,” Yoon grumbled, attempting to straighten the older man with a groan. “You talk too long with God, old man.”

Yona remained silent as she thought, glancing at the ground. After a moment Zeno grabbed her arm gently, leading her back to the priest's hut, the soft sounds of their feet on the ground soon replacing the scolding’s of Yoon.

“Miss?” He asked after a few moments of silence, not looking at her. “What are you thinking?”

“I…” What was she thinking? Did she want to take this path the heavens wanted her to? “I want to meet the people who possess the blood of the dragons.”

“The miss is sure?” He asked, glancing at her, his brown eyes full of curiosity. “Even if they won’t side with you?”

“Well… I’ll deal with it then. As things are now, I can’t even leave this place without us being in danger…” She huffed softly, frowning more as Zeno fell quiet again. “I want to move forward one way or another so I can become stronger, too.”

“Grow stronger?” He asked, pausing. “As in, swords and bows?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Zeno can teach you that, then!” He stated, letting his hand fall from her arm, turning to give her a bright smile. “Zeno can use them, if the miss wants to learn he’ll be more than willing to teach her!”

“Please!” Yona asked, grabbing his arm in turn, forcing Zeno to come to a stop. “Teach me! I don’t want to die helplessly like this, I don’t want to lose anyone ever again!” She paused, a memory of her father requesting she never pick up a weapon echoing in her mind. Without a moment of hesitation she shook it off, grimacing as she tightened her grip on Zeno’s arm. “For those reasons I want to obtain the power of God!”

“Alright, miss! If that’s what you want!” Zeno agreed, nodding his head quickly before pausing. “Ah, but maybe… Zeno thinks we should go to sleep. It is a very late night, after all, right?”

“Wait.”

They both froze, turning behind them as Ik-Soo approached, Yoon right behind him.

“You've decided your path, princess?” The priest asked, folding his hands in front of him.

“Yup!”

“Well, then I have a favour to ask of you.” Ik-Soo gestured beside him to Yoon, the boy giving the priest a questioning glare. “Please, take Yoon with you.”


	6. A Choice Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I really need to state who beta'd again? I do. Thanks CynicWithATwist!!

“Eh?!”

Zeno glanced at Yoon, noting the boy’s confused expression. Apparently, this was also news to him. Yona herself was confused, looking at Ik-Soo, gently tapping the side of her head.

“Did… I hear you right…?”

“What the hell, you old man, who gave you the authority to ask such a thing?!”

Zeno watched the antics, watched as Yoon tried hitting Ik-Soo upside the head, watched as Yona tried various things to test her hearing.

He wondered if the priest was right in the head.

Then again, despite the time Zeno had spent as a traveler, he was pretty sure he couldn't take care of both Yona and himself, as well as three other dragons without someone who knew what they were doing. Last he checked, the other dragons were something of a… Lost cause.

“You’re telling me to go with them?!” Yoon demanded, grabbing the priest’s robes, pulling him down to his level.

“You need to leave this place,” came his reply, a hand lifting and gesturing over towards Zeno and Yona, “and aid the princess and the others.”

“Why me?! This isn’t a joke!?”

Zeno pulled on Yona’s arm, gently tugging her towards the hut, away from them. “Let them settle this,” he whispered, the princess nodding slowly as she followed him. “The lad and the priest need to come to terms on this, we shouldn't have an influence…”

He led her back to the hut, gently humming a soft tune for her, the girl yawning heavily. After thinking for a moment, Zeno sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. It would have been easier to continue hiding his dragon status if Ik-Soo had never mentioned the four dragons, but seeing as it was apparently the path that the Gods wanted her to take… “Well, Zeno actually… Has to tell the miss something that she ought to know.”

“Can it wait for the morning, Zeno…?” Yona asked, barely managing to stifle yet another yawn, covering her mouth. “It is pretty late… And with everything that’s been thrown at me…”

“Ah, right, yeah…” He laughed slightly, feeling himself sigh. “Morning, then! The miss promises?”

“Yes, of course…”

He led her inside, gently herding her towards the mat she could sleep on, helping her become settled. It was easy to see that while she was tired it would take Yona a while to be able to sleep. Zeno tilted his head to the side, thinking. Perhaps he could still tell her, in disguise of a story…

“Would the miss like to hear a story…?” He asked, shifting to sit cross legged beside her, smiling as she nodded. “Ah, good! Zeno has lots of stories! Hmm, let us see…”

He leaned back a bit, attempting to figure out the best way to reveal himself to her. What story would allow that?

“Long ago, just after Hiryuu descended to the world as a human, there was four very normal humans with four very normal lives. One was a war general, one was a mercenary, one was wealthy, and the last was a prophet.”

“Is this the story of the four dragons?” Yona asked, a slight hint of disbelief in her voice.

“Ah, yes! Zeno didn’t tell the miss the full story! There’s a bit more he knows about them than he said earlier,” he replied, smiling fondly at the memories. “Let’s see… The war general, Guen… He was skilled with a sword, and considered the other three dragons to be his brothers that he had to look out for. He was very proud to have become Hakuryuu, so proud to be able to give his life for Hiryuu if the Red Dragon ever asked him to. The mercenary, Shuten, he was… Oh, he was a fighter. He was aggressive, and refused to acknowledge the others as his brothers, claiming that he just wanted the strength of the leg that Ryokuryuu gave him. The wealthy, Abi, she was delicate like a flower, but knew her way with a sword in case those that came near her tried cutting her down, the gift of the dragons eyes always a last resort. And the prophet…”

Zeno paused for a moment, a sad smile forming on his face. His own story? How could he tell her without fully telling her he was the first Ouryuu? “Eh, he came from a sleepy village, and heard the voice of God much like the priest does. He didn’t want to fight, but thought that drinking Ouryuu’s blood would give him the chance to make the world happier, a much better place to live. He never heard the voice of God after that.”

“What was his name?” Yona asked, tilting her head to look at him. Zeno froze a little, laughing slightly.

“Eh, the first Ouryuu’s name was Zeno,” he hummed. “Actually, that’s what Zeno wanted to tell the miss. Zeno is Ouryuu.”

“What?!”

“No no, the miss should lay down and rest!”

“You can’t just tell me that and expect me to stay laying down! You’re Ouryuu?!”

Zeno nodded, gently forcing Yona to lay back down. “Yes, Zeno is Ouryuu, one of the four dragons the priest told the miss to find.” He watched her settle down, the expression of shock still clearly etched on Yona’s face.

“How come you didn’t say anything before?!” She demanded. Once again Yona attempted to sit up, Zeno gently holding her down. She was just as stubborn as the first Hiryuu had been.

“Well, Zeno tried to outside. And he supposed with the story the miss would have asked about Ouryuu’s name. Which is Zeno’s name too.”

“How old are you then?!”

“Zeno is seventeen!” He retorted, crossing his arms with a slight huff. “Zeno’s mother named him after the original Ouryuu!”

That was a lie. He was named after his mother’s grandfather, who had passed away just before he was born. But something about Yona’s reaction made him want to keep his status as the only Ouryuu to have existed a secret. Sighing, Zeno reached over and gently ruffled the girl’s hair, giving her a smile.

“Zeno can’t really show you what he can do as Ouryuu, though,” he explained, his smile brightening as Yona slowly nodded, giving him a pout.

“I can’t believe you didn't tell me something like that…” She huffed, crossing her arms as she slowly began to settle. “You said Ouryuu had a strong body that could never be injured!”

“Er, that’s how the story was told to Zeno. That’s not quite what Ouryuu can do, miss…” Zeno smiled, just a little, watching as she seemed to slowly fall asleep. He stretched his arms, shifting to fall onto his back with a tired hum.

“But don’t worry, miss…” He yawned, smiling as he stared at the ceiling. “Zeno will tell you the whole truth soon…”

It wasn’t long until he found himself fast asleep, various memories playing out in his head in the shape of dreams. Various people he wished were still with him greeting him, hugging him, each whispering things to him he could barely hear.

For a moment Zeno wished he would never wake up.

But, morning came quicker than he wanted, someone gently shaking him awake, pulling him from the warm memories.

“Neh…?” He yawned, stretching his arms. Yona was above him, a frown on her face as she kept shaking him.

“Come on, you sleepy thing!” She stated, a smile on her face. “Yoon’s coming with us!”

“Eh?!” Zeno asked, staring at her in surprise. “Really? The lad is coming?”

“Yes, I am,” Yoon spoke, glaring at Zeno as he stood over him, his hands resting firmly on his hips. “While the idiot priest is most likely going to die without me here, we came to an agreement. The moment we have all four dragons we’re coming back here again.”

“Zeno gets to keep eating the lad’s food!” The dragon enthused, throwing his hands in the air in praise, his back still flat against the floor. He probably looked silly. He gave up caring centuries ago.

“Yes you idiot now get up so we can figure out where to go!”

* * *

 

Yona watched as Zeno struggled up, dusting himself off. She frowned at his clothes, noting how dirty they had become since their fall. And his scarf, it was missing from his neck… She turned to Yoon, tilting her head a bit.

“Yoon?”

“What do you want, princess.”

“Can you make Zeno another scarf…?”

“Eh? Zeno doesn’t need another one, his head scarf is fine!” The blond interrupted, giving her a confused look. Yona shook her head, pointing to her hair with a frown.

“Your scarf got all cut up when I cut my hair,” she muttered, a guilty expression crossing her face. She spotted a few patches of dirt still stubbornly on Zeno’s clothes. “And your cloaks all dirty too, see?”

“Ah, those are minor details!”

“You cut your own hair?! No wonder it’s so atrocious!” Yoon huffed, crossing his arms as he shook his head. “You can’t do anything, can you, princess?”

“Eh?! That’s not true!”

They were interrupted by Zeno’s laughter, the blond shaking his head quickly. “If anything, the miss should be worried about her clothes! They’re the same from the castle, are they not? They would be easy to spot! Didn't Zeno say the first thing they should do if they had time was that the miss should change her clothes?”

“Ah! You’re right!” Yona exclaimed, once again turning to the younger boy with a bright, curious expression. “Yoon, would you be able to make me new clothes?”

“What if I don’t want to?!”

Despite his clear annoyance, Yoon wandered over somewhere, plucking out some fabric that was hidden away out. Yona watched him, her eyes wide with curiosity. He actually knew how to sew?

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Zeno wander over somewhere, seeming to leave the two of them alone. Yona fidgeted, glancing at Yoon as he seemed to measure out some fabric, setting them aside as he began to pick up various other things.

“You can do anything!” She enthused, clapping her hands as she went to sit beside him, giving him a bright smile. “I can’t do anything…”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

The boy rolled his eyes, shifting his weight as he began to sew, keeping an eye on her. “To be honest, that doesn’t surprise me. You’re a spoiled princess, after all.”

If he had been a guest at Hiryuu castle, she would have yelled at him, telling him off for calling her spoiled. She didn’t believe she was spoiled, at least not then. But staying with Yoon and Ik-Soo made her realize that she had been very spoiled, while quite a lot of the country had nothing. Slowly, she nodded, glancing down at her hands.

“You’re right,” she muttered, sighing softly. “I was nothing but spoiled… I would have died if Zeno hadn’t come save me… I want to change, though…”

“Well what better place to change than at the bottom of the valley,” the boy grumbled, shaking his head slightly. “And… I’m sorry. About my actions, yesterday. And today. It’s just increasingly hard that here you are, a girl who lived her life spoiled rotten, and the rest of the country…”

“The rest of the country suffered while I lived in luxury.”

“Yeah…”

She clapped her hands together, giving the other a smile. “Well, I have nothing left to lose! Please, allow me to learn how to survive the same way you have, Yoon!”

Yoon looked at her in confusion, a frown on his face. “… What?”

“Please! Teach me what you know!” She asked, leaning forward a little. “Please teach me how to cook! Teach me how to use medicine! Teach me to be useful to my country!”

Her words must have confused Yoon, the boy looking at her as if she had gone mad. He returned to his sewing, the silence engulfing them.

“… You want me to teach you,” he muttered, glancing at her again.

“Yes! You’re a genius, Yoon!”

“Th-that’s right! Don’t ever forget that!” He exclaimed, nodding his head. “…Oh, but you forgot the handsome part.”

“Yoon is a handsome genius, of course!”

A moment passed, the two falling into relatively easy chatter, Yona watching as the other continued to sew, his fingers quick with the needle. After what seemed like a few hours he finished, holding the clothes up to Yona with a proud smile.

“Here,” he stated, watching as she took them carefully. “Try those on.”

“Okay! Get out first so I can change!”

* * *

 

“So, wasn't today supposed to be us figuring out where to go next?” Zeno asked, watching as Yona twirled around in the clothes Yoon had made her, a map in his hand. “Zeno has a map, we can get started if you’re ready.”

“Ah! Zeno!” Yona exclaimed, pausing in her twirling. “Look at these interesting clothes Yoon made me!”

“Interesting?!” The boy asked, giving her a slight glare. “I make you stunning clothes, and all you say is that they’re interesting? They’re much more appropriate than the clothes you had before!”

“Interesting is good!”

Zeno couldn’t help but laugh, waving the map in the air. “Children, children!” He stated, shifting his weight to sit down. “Zeno has a map! We need to get moving soon!”

“Where did you find that map?” Yoon asked, giving him a suspicious glance.

“I gave it to him.”

Zeno turned to smile at Ik-Soo, the priest walking over slowly. He had a smile on his face, the dragon noted, but his cheeks were still red. Most likely still crying over the departure of Yoon.

“Essentially,” the priest muttered, pausing for a moment. “Those who have inherited the blood of the dragons have been scattered and each live their own lives now…”

“Well, that’s annoying!” Yoon grumbled, huffing slightly. Zeno smiled, waving the map a bit.

“Not quite, not quite!” He hummed, watching as the three turned to look at him. “Zeno is one of the four dragons!”

“What?!” The younger boy yelled, looking at him. “How could you be one of the four dragons?!”

“Easy! Zeno is!” He opened the map, a smile forming on his lips. “Let’s see… If Zeno’s right, Hakuryuu should be here,” he muttered, pointing to a spot on the upper corner of the country’s map. “Hakuryuu lives in a misty village and they rarely ever take in outsiders. A previous Ouryuu was actually shot when he went there, though Zeno thinks they didn’t know it was Ouryuu.”

It wasn’t a total lie, he reasoned. The fact that it was him that had been shot, centuries ago, did not need to be known. Not yet. “Actually, Seiryuu should be about here,” another point to the map, “while Ryokuryuu is currently here.” He jabbed the map again. His smile was bright, both Yona and Yoon looking at him in sheer confusion.

“How did you…”

“The four dragons can constantly sense each other!” He proudly stated. “Ever since the first generation, when they split up to go their own ways, they’ve always been able to sense each other. Zeno is very skilled at hiding himself, though, so if we need to try and sneak up on the other three Zeno can do that.”

“What a rare beast then…” Yoon groaned, rubbing his forehead. “I’m stuck with a rare beast and a spoiled princess…”

“A runaway princess, a dragon of legend…” Ik-Soo began, pressing his hands together in prayer, gently tapping his chin. “I shall pray for your safe return…”

“You’re forgetting about me!”

Zeno smiled at the antics, shifting his weight as he leaned back. Yona hummed in delight, clapping her hands as she watched the priest and Yoon bicker.

He couldn’t help but smile.

“So, are the lad and miss ready to depart?” He asked, stretching his arms. “We have a very long way to go to get to… Zeno thinks Hakuryuu’s village would be the closest for us.”

“Hakuryuu?”

“Yes! That, and Hakuryuu is very strong!” Zeno enthused, giving her a smile. “His right arm has the strength of ten of the strongest men!”

He got up, dusting himself off again. “Miss, your hair should be covered as much as possible.”

“Will the soldiers attack us…?” She asked, lowering her gaze. Zeno paused, shaking his head quickly.

“Zeno will protect the miss on the name of Ouryuu!” He firmly stated, gently grabbing her arm. “Zeno promises!”

“I can’t defend myself, either. I’m weak, just like the princess,” Yoon mentioned, pointing to himself. “Treat me well, okay?”

The dragon couldn’t help but laugh, nodding his head. “See, this is why Zeno thinks they should fetch Hakuryuu first! He’ll be a much better protector than Zeno. Zeno’s powers aren’t really reliable right off the bat. Oh! But, he can help train the miss and lad with weapons! He was taught how, he can teach them easily!”

He paused, shaking his head. “Though, only self-defence. So Zeno guesses we’ll have to stop in a village somewhere and pick up some weapons, right…?”

Zeno wondered if he could protect the two of them long enough until they managed to reach Hakuryuu’s village. He remembered the way there, it hadn’t been too long ago that he had visited the current Hakuryuu, at least. A tiny little kid with the scars from his predecessor on his back… The boy would have grown, would be at least twenty now, he must have been only three or four when he last saw him.

“Well,” Yona began, after a few moments of silence. “Should we get going…?”

“Yes we should!” Zeno enthused, nodding enthusiastically. “We have a very long trip ahead of us, miss!”


	7. Beginning of a Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual thank you Cynic for being awesome and amazing, also thank you Kou for a string of dialogue that I still couldn't get over and had to include.

“Miss! Hold your arm up more, like so.”

Yona copied Zeno’s stance, holding her arm up as she attempted to aim. Zeno stood beside her, nodding slowly as he continued to instruct her, his voice low and calm. A few steps away Yoon was sitting on the ground, watching as Yona would shoot the tree, just below or just above the mark Zeno had made earlier. She huffed softly, closing an eye as she attempted to focus, releasing the arrow.

It flew forward, hitting Zeno’s mark dead on.

“Huzzah!” Zeno cheered, jumping up and throwing his hands in the air excitedly. “The miss hit her target!”

“It only took forty-eight arrows…” Yoon sighed, stretching a bit as he got up. Yona huffed and crossed her arms, watching as Zeno darted off to collect the arrows.

“It’s because the miss doesn’t have much arm strength, is all,” Zeno replied, pointing an arrow at him. “The lad would be the same way, too. It takes a lot of strength to pull a bow back.”

“How the hell do you even manage to draw a bow, you’ve no muscles!”

“Zeno is Ouryuu!”

“Like that actually has anything to do with it!”

She smiled as she listened to their bickering, the sound like strange music to her ears. It reminded her of when Soo-Won and Hak would bicker, their voices still clear in her ear.

“Is the miss okay?!”

Looking up she noticed Zeno was close, studying her face with worry. “Eh? Why wouldn’t I be okay…?”

“You’re crying, princess.”

Slowly, she reached up, touching her cheek. Surprise coloured her face as she realized it was wet. When did she start crying?

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she stated, waving her hand dismissively. “We have a mountain to climb.”

She ignored the concerned look on Zeno’s face, instead putting a bright smile on, quickly taking the arrows he had collected from him and putting them back in the quiver. She didn’t want him to worry about her. Not yet.

“Well, it’s getting dark,” Yoon grumbled, sighing heavily. “We should probably consider setting up a camp and making something to eat.”

“The lad’s cooking is delicious!” Zeno enthused, the worry vanishing from his face as he turned to face the other in excitement, his smile bright. The comment seemed to fluster Yoon, the boy waving his hand dismissively, a smug look on his face.

“Of course it is!” He stated, grinning. Yona couldn’t help but smile, so glad he had been here on the trip with them (The three of them all bawling when bidding farewell to Ik-Soo, the priest wishing them a safe journey while crying himself). After a moment’s hesitation he turned to Yona, a suddenly serious expression on his face. “Oh, Yona, do you think you could manage to shoot down a bird for us to eat…?”

“A bird?” She asked, her face scrunching up slightly. “I don’t think I can hit a moving target…”

“How about Zeno goes and fetches a bear?!” The blond asked, snatching the bow from Yona’s hands, the girl jumping startled.

“Why would I want a bear?!”

“Bear has all the essential nutrients that growing children like yourselves need!”

“You’re a child yourself!”

Stealthily, Yona reached forward and grabbed the bow back, startling Zeno in return, the blond looking at her with a curious frown. “I’ll catch a bird, Zeno.” She stated with a huff, spotting a bird sitting in a branch just above them, drawing the string back with a frown. She attempted to aim, huffing ever so gently before letting the string go, watching as the arrow took flight.

It missed the bird, but in her opinion it was perhaps the most graceful arrow she’d shot so far.

“The miss was close!” Zeno stated, watching as the bird took flight, crossing his arms with a hum. “Perhaps if you aim a little higher than the target…”

“Catch the stupid bird, Zeno.”

“Roger that!”

He took off through the trees, silent as a ghost. The two fell silent, watching as he headed off, each turning to the other.

“Did he have any sort of weapon on him?” Yoon asked, eyeing the trees that Zeno had vanished in with confusion.

“I don’t think so…”

Yona shrugged with a sigh, pulling another arrow out of the quiver, and aiming for the tree again. Yoon got up with a groan, dusting himself off before stating he would search for some firewood before vanishing through the trees.

It seemed like she was alone at that moment.

“What did he say about the arrow…?” She muttered, glancing at the mark still left on the tree, aiming slightly above it. “Just a little higher than the mark…?”

She let go of the string, watching the arrow fly through the air, hitting the mark dead on. Without the other two around, she let out a delighted squeal, clapping her hands as she pulled out another bow, taking aim once again. She continued on this pattern, exclaiming in delight as she hit the target on most good occasions, watching each time as the arrow would fly in a seemingly straight line.

After an hour of practice she collapsed on the ground, stretching her arms with a content hum.

Zeno arrived shortly after, carrying several birds in his arms, glancing at the tree in surprise.

“The miss was busy!” He stated, gently setting the birds down, stretching his arms. “Zeno is impressed!”

“What is that rare beast impressed with now?” Yoon grumbled, stumbling back through the trees with multiple branches in his arms, dropping them heavily on the ground. “Zeno be of some use and get a fire started, I’ll cut up the birds.”

“Right!”

* * *

 

He had to admit it, Yona's skills were improving.

After they had left Ik-Soo's they found a village a day’s trip away, one of the shops selling weapons. While Yoon had wandered off to find any supplies they might need (with a good portion of their savings, stating that he would be in charge of the money), Zeno took Yona off to find a good sized weapon that she could easily wield.

The bow they had settled on was simple, light enough that it was easy for her to pick up and shoot, but sturdy enough that it could withstand constant usage. Zeno settled on a broadsword for her, as well, rather plain but sharp enough that it could easily cut through whatever it needed to. After selecting a few other swords (One for him and a dagger for Yoon, just in case) they made their way back to find their fellow traveller, the boy finishing packing the things he had purchased for the trip.

He taught her as they went, some days being spent just practicing the bow, some learning basic self defense. She picked up the weapons easily, despite her hesitations towards using them for taking an animal’s life.

“The miss needs to learn that all living things will return to heaven one day,” he had commented once, watching as a boar darted away after a failed attempt at making it dinner. “You are sorry to be taking its life, right?”

“Y… Yes…”

“Then it will forgive you.”

They went on like that, the three of them walking off in the direction Zeno knew to be Hakuryuu Village. Occasionally an arrow Yona set loose would end up scraping the dragon’s arm, both the younger two racing forward to see if he was alright.

“Zeno is fine!” He would state, watching as Yona would stammer out an apology, as Yoon would demand he hold still so he could patch him up. It always ended the same. They would look at where the arrow had struck on his arm, would see the fabric ripped almost perfectly. They would stare in confusion as his skin would appear perfectly smooth.

“How?!” Yoon demanded, glaring at the dragon. “How does your skin do this?!”

“Ouryuu doesn’t have a body that can never be damaged,” Zeno sighed heavily, grabbing the sword he kept on him and slicing his palm open, much to the horror of the other two. “Zeno heals very fast.”

Blood dripped from his hand, and yet slowly the wound began stitching itself back together, closing. Yoon had grabbed his wrist, pulling his palm close for inspection. Yona was frozen in shock, staring at the blood that was still fresh on his skin.

“That’s…”

“That’s how Zeno survived the poison arrow and the fall!” He exclaimed, giving the girl a smile, hoping to cheer her up. “Zeno is very healthy. If he is stabbed, though, he’ll die. At least, that’s what Zeno thinks.”

It wasn’t a full lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. He could do much more than that. He could never die. But he didn’t want the two children left in his care to worry too much about it, to panic over it. Of course, it still took Yoon a few days to get used to the idea, constantly grabbing the dragon each time he saw blood, already reaching for his gauze and herbs, freezing every single time at the perfectly unmarked skin of Zeno’s body.

“What a rare beast you are,” he grumbled, shaking his head. “It’s insane.”

“Zeno heals fast! That’s the gift of Ouryuu!”

As they continued to travel, Zeno continued to teach Yona how to fight. Yoon had begun to teach her how to do basic survival things, which herbs were good for which ailment and which berries were safe to eat. The younger boy taught them both how to cook (Deeming Zeno’s cooking to be sub-par and in severe need of improvement), and how to repair their clothes when they got ripped (demonstrating very often on Zeno’s clothes).

Zeno couldn’t be happier.

They came closer to Hakuryuu Village each day.

* * *

 “I’ve been meaning to ask you, princess.”

Yona paused in the rip she was attempting to fix on Zeno’s jacket, looking up in confusion as Yoon stared at her with a frown. She tilted her head to the side, smiling. “What?”

“You and Zeno are close, aren’t you?” Yoon asked, frowning as he reached forward and plucked the jacket and needle from her hands, picking up where she'd left off in the stitching. “… How long have you two been together?”

“Ah!” She blinked, frowning a bit as she thought. “How long ago have we left the priests…?”

“Probably a week, maybe longer.”

“Hmm…” She thought, tapping her chin. “Well, however long that was, plus the few days before… And we’ve been travelling together since my sixteenth birthday… That was when… It…”

She stopped speaking, shaking slightly. Yoon frowned, reaching forward and rubbing her arm.

“You do realize I asked how long you’ve been together, not travelling, right.”

Yona stared at him. “I told you. Zeno saved me. We’re not dating, or anything.”

“I’m confused, how did he save you? Was he a part of the guards, or something?”

 “… No.”

“Incredible.”  Yoon sighed, shaking his head. “Just… Incredible.”

“What are the miss and lad talking about?”

They both glanced up as Zeno darted over, carrying several arrows he had sharpened while they were sewing. He had sat down beside Yona, reaching for the quiver the rest of the arrows were secured in, adding them to the bunch. Yona shook her head quickly, smiling a bit.

“Ah, nothing!”

Zeno shrugged, pulling the map out and studying it.

“How much farther do we have, Zeno?” Yoon asked, leaning over to get a closer look at the map. The dragon looked at him with a smile, shifting before handing the map to him.

“Zeno says it should be about less than a day’s travel! The map says a full day,” he stated, shifting his weight to cross his arms. He tilted his head, thinking for a moment. “Zeno is perplexed, though. Wouldn’t there be traps set along the way…?”

“You think too much.”

“Ah hah, perhaps Zeno does!” He enthused, nodding his head. “But the lad has to remember: Hakuryuu Village has taken it onto themselves to protect Hakuryuu from outsiders at all costs. The past Ouryuu has advised Zeno not to go visiting, actually. A story from a very long ago was that the first Ouryuu went to visit, claiming that the Hakuryuu he sensed was not the Hakuryuu he remembered, and was shot in the process.”

“They shot him?!”

“Yes,” Zeno nodded, a frown on his face. “Perhaps simply just protecting the infant that had inherited Hakuryuu’s blood, Zeno’s not sure. It was a very long time ago, and the story has been changed slightly as time went on. The Ouryuu before Zeno actually managed to come visit the village and speak with the recent Hakuryuu…”

Yona nodded slowly, a frown on her face. For a village to shoot at a fellow dragon…? They must be extremely devoted to protecting the dragon blood.

“Zeno suggests they approach very carefully. We do not need to be separated and picked off one by one by the village protectors.”

They both nodded, watching as the boy smiled brightly and get up and stretch. He paused, holding his hand out for his coat.

“Lad, give that to Zeno.”

“Huh? Why? The rip isn’t even fixed yet!”

Yona watched as Zeno narrowed his eyes, a few moments later mist seeming to roll in from out of nowhere. Without warning Zeno grabbed the jacket, using an expert flick of his wrist to deflect a good majority of the fog away. They remained silent, a few moments later a voice speaking.

“Leave this ground at once!”

An arrow shot from out of the trees surrounding them, Zeno darting forward and grabbing it before it could inflict any damage to either Yona or Yoon. Yoon remained frozen beside her, his eyes wide as the arrow was held just inches away from his face. A moment later Zeno tossed it to the ground with a huff.

“Is this any way to treat travelers?!” He stated, glancing in the direction of the arrow. “We came looking for Hakuryuu, and you shoot at us?”

There was a quiet whisper from the trees.

“They know about Lord Hakuryuu?”

“They must not be allowed to leave!”

“The rules state they must die!”

Yona watched as Zeno narrowed his eyes, stepping forward. “Is this any way,” he began, the murmurs quieting suddenly, “to treat Ouryuu and Lord Hiryuu?!”

Yona glanced at the dragon, her purple eyes narrowing in confusion. “Hiryuu…?”

After a moment the air seemed to come to life with excited murmurs, people rushing out from behind trees. They formed a circle around the three, almost all kneeling.

“Forgive us,” one began, glancing up at Zeno. “We didn’t realize it was you!”

“Damn straight,” Zeno muttered, sighing softly.

“Please, allow us to lead the way to Hakuryuu Village, Ouryuu and Hiryuu!”

* * *

 “Ah… My hand is itching today…”

He held his hand up to the window, staring at the white scales that began to form about half way along his arm. He felt his heart skip a beat slightly as the sun reflected on the scales, watching the beautiful gleam as he turned his hand over. He had been born with this hand, a sure mark that he had been gifted with the blood of Hakuryuu.

Silently he marveled at the sheer beauty of the white dragon’s gift. Had the first Hakuryuu been this enchanted by the change the dragon god had made to him, just as he was at this moment?

“Lord Hakuryuu? Are you awake?”

The voice seemed distant to him. Had someone entered his room? Now that he thought of it, it sounded like his grandmother…

“I’m not sure why, but my right hand has been throbbing…” He muttered, feeling himself grow quiet. Was there a reason for it to throb? Was there a reason for it to itch?

“Quickly!” The voice screeched, quite clearly his grandmother. Yes, he was sure of it. Only his grandmother could sound this way. “Quickly! It’s Lord Hakuryuu’s hand! Call a doctor!”

“It’s not serious!” He stated, feeling the energy he had felt early seem to ebb away. “It’s not serious, so don’t make a big fuss!”

“I thought my heart was going to stop…” His grandmother sighed heavily, shaking her head. “If that important hand were to ever get injured…”

“You all make too much of a fuss over everything…” He groaned, shaking his head before crossing his arms. After a moment he let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging. “You have protected me from catching illness… From outsiders trying to get their hands on my power from the time I was young… Though I’m sure the one who should be protecting you all is me…”

“What are you saying, Lord Hakuryuu? Protecting Lord Hakuryuu, who possesses the power of the Gods, is our pride and reason to live. Not to mention…” There was a hint of pride in his grandmother’s voice, “That you are more beautiful and radiant than the Hakuryuu’s that came before you!”

“Aren’t you being a little biased…?” He sighed, shaking his head. “I will never disgrace such an honorable title… But I can’t help but feel… Irritated about when and what purpose I can use this power for…”

There was a soft chuckle. He was sure of it.

“Lord Hakuryuu… The person who has inherited that power from the time of legend may not be needed in this era. However, the Lord Hakuryuu of the next generation or beyond will surely use the power of the Gods in order to protect their master. As far as your part goes… You don’t have to worry about anything and can stay in this village.”

His irritation rose up again as he glanced out the window _. The next Hakuryuu…?_ He thought, watching as the trees just beyond the village border swayed gently _. Who is the master I’m supposed to protect? When will they appear? If this power isn’t needed in this era, then I only exist to pass on the bloodline… Why can’t they hurry? I want to meet the master that needs me!_  

“By the way, Lord Hakuryuu…” His grandmother spoke again, the soft clink of a cup being picked up. Had one of the servants given her a cup of tea? “You have turned twenty years old, am I right?”

He jumped. The topic he had been dreading for quite some time had returned. Dread filled his stomach as he nodded slowly, refusing to face his elder. “… That’s right.”

“It wouldn’t be strange if you got some sort of wife soon. You’re at that age, you know?”

“I’m fine alone. Alone!”

“Is there not even one you want?!” The voice was very loud, suddenly. “I was told that you refused to get married a few days ago! Do none of the girls in the village please you anymore?!”

He groaned, covering his face, pleading for his grandmother to leave. _Hurry… Hurry up, my master…!_

The air in the room grew silent, a sudden chatter of excited voices drifting on the breeze. He turned to face his grandmother with a frown, tilting his head to the side. “By the way… Why has it been noisy this morning?”

“Ah, it seems we have visitors from the outside.”

“What?! Shouldn’t they have been eliminated right away?!”

“It seems they’re rather unusual, one claiming that he is-"

“They simply let those intruders in the village?!”

“I heard there’s a cute girl among the three of them.”

“So what?! She could be a female assassin! You shouldn’t be so negligent! I’m going!”

 _At the very least I can use this power to protect the village._ He thought, grabbing his cloak and pulling it on, racing from the room. _I’ll teach those damn intruders a lesson!_

“Lord Hakuryuu, wait!”

He ignored her, racing outside with a determined frown. “Are they this way?”

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted them. Three people, one sitting while the other two stood, sparring with each other. One with blond hair, the other with a cloak covering their hair. He stomped forward, determined to be done with them when it hit him.

The presence of a fellow dragon hit him as if he had walked into a tree, causing him to freeze. After a moment the cloaked person paused, turning to look at him with a questioning glance.

_Warriors of the four dragons!_

His blood suddenly felt like it was on fire.


	8. Hakuryuu

Zeno watched as the current Hakuryuu staggered forward, clearly being affected by the promise of the first generation. He remembered hearing that thundering voice of Ouryuu in his head the moment he drank the blood, could remember the staggering feeling of the blood pulsing through his body. It felt like every last fiber of his body had been on fire.

Now that he thought of it, he felt it the moment he laid eyes on Yona as well.

“Lord Hakuryuu?!” Voices demanded, as the white dragon collapsed on the ground. Zeno darted forward, catching his head before it hit the ground, Yona covering her mouth from the corner of his eyes.

“Is he okay…?” She asked, kneeling down beside the white dragon’s head, Yoon leaning over to inspect him. Zeno nodded, smiling brightly at the two. The village murmured quietly.

“Hakuryuu will be fine!” Zeno stated, smiling at her. “It’s called the Initiation,” he told her, watching as Hakuryuu slowly relaxed, the dragon opening his eyes to blink slowly. “Ah, he’s coming to!”

“Uh…” Yona muttered, glancing down at the boy. “Hakuryuu…?”

“… Yes?” The boy sat up, Zeno kneeling beside Yona and studying the dragon’s expression. His eyes were glazed over, most likely still stuck on the high of the initiation. “I am the person who has inherited the blood of the white dragon from ancient times.”

A smile found its way on Zeno’s face as Hakuryuu struggled to get up, shifting to his knees quickly. He bowed deeply to Yona, the girl blinking in surprise. Just like Guen, all those years ago.

“I have been waiting for you,” he muttered, shifting his weight up. “My master.”

The expression he was making was one of uttermost sheer joy. Zeno could understand the emotion. He could only really speak for himself, but he knew he felt he sheer and utter joy at the fact that his king wanted him around. Hakuryuu must be feeling extremely overjoyed over the fact that he was needed. He glanced up, noticing the rest of the village bowing down, mimicking the stance Hakuryuu had just sat up from.

“Master?” Yona asked, tilting her head to the side. “What are you talking…?”

That’s when Yona seemed to notice the village, her eyes growing wide in confusion. Zeno almost laughed at the scene, the entire village, even the young children who he suspected didn’t entirely know what was going on, were bowing, were worshiping the fact that Hiryuu had finally come to retrieve the white dragon. Slowly, the village got up, all exclaiming various praises to Hakuryuu, congratulating him on the king's appearance.

“The power of the Gods which we protected from ancient times is finally rewarding us today!” The village cheered, throwing their hands up in praise.

“They’re a little excited, huh..?” Yoon asked, glancing at his traveling companions with an irritated frown. Yona got up slowly, nodding her head with a worried frown.

“Are they calling me a king because I’m royalty…?” She asked, pressing her hands to her cheeks. Zeno shook his head, a wide grin forming on his face.

“It’s because you’re Hiryuu’s reincarnation!” Zeno enthused, patting Yona’s shoulder with a grin. “The four dragons have been waiting a very long time for you! Centuries upon centuries, even!”

“But… I’m not a descendant of King Hiryuu…” Yona muttered, tugging at a strand of her hair. “Within Kouka’s history, there were times when the other tribes held royal authority… I don’t think there are any remaining descendants of King Hiryuu left.”

Zeno couldn’t help but laugh. “That doesn’t actually matter! Reincarnation doesn’t work that way!”

“My master.”

“Eh?!” The girl spun around, her eyes growing wide as Hakuryuu looked up at her, his eyes suddenly serious for a moment.

“If I may ask… What is your name…?”

“… Yona.”

Hakuryuu smiled at the name, closing his eyes with the most content expression. “Lady Yona…”

Zeno watched as Yona leaned forward, her thoughts completely hidden to Zeno.

“You’re beautiful.”

He burst out laughing at the white dragon’s confusion, almost doubling over at the younger boy’s startled look. When was the last time he saw such an expression, aside from Yona’s when he told her he was Ouryuu?

“That’s not true.” Hakuryuu responded, his face reddening ever so slightly. He glanced down, shaking his head. “Lady Yona is the one who looks divine.”

“Oh, no…” She shook her head, her shoulders dropping a smidge. “I don’t understand you, or Zeno… I’m not your master, nor am I Hiryuu…”

At that moment Zeno calmed himself instantly, looking up to give Yona a stern look. “Miss.”

She ignored him, continuing to speak. “I want the power of the Gods to protect myself and my friends. I’m being a bad person.”

“Zeno is willingly giving his power to the miss!” It would take him a while to convince her she was Hiryuu, Zeno realized, sighing slightly. “Zeno promises on the name of Ouryuu, miss.”

“Yeah, princess, be quiet about being a bad person!” Yoon hissed at her, grabbing at her arm. “Remember how they treated us when we first approached?!”

The yellow dragon seriously debated her tactic. He turned to watch her expression, noting how it went from a solemn look to suddenly determined, a smile forming on her face. A grin formed on his own face as he shifted his weight to step beside her, standing tall with pride. He may doubt her at the moment, but he would stand beside his king no matter what.

“I’m traveling to take hold of the other two dragons, too.” She finally stated, turning her attention to Hakuryuu. “First, I have Zeno’s power.”

“And Zeno will always lend the miss his power!” The dragon stated proudly, placing his hand on Yona’s shoulder. From the corner of his eye he could see the girl smile even more, looking at Hakuryuu.

“So, Hakuryuu. May I borrow your power, as well?”

There was a moment of silence. Zeno frowned slightly, focusing on the white dragon’s energy. For a moment it was dull, causing him to worry. Suddenly it flared up, hitting Zeno with the force of enthusiastic energy that could rival the charade he put up.

“It would be my greatest honour,” he stated, raising his right hand over his heart, bowing to Yona. “No matter who you are or what kind of objectives you have, from now on I am your dragon. The blood within me is telling me so.”

Zeno smiled. Exactly like Guen. “Welcome, Hakuryuu! Let’s protect the miss together!” He exclaimed, darting forward and grabbing the boy’s hands, gripping them tightly. “Zeno trusts you’ll keep us all safe, yeah?”

“What about you?! You’re a dragon, too!”

“Zeno doesn’t have an amazing power like Hakuryuu, or the other dragons,” he stated, letting go. He stepped back beside Yona, smiling slightly. “Zeno has a sturdy body, though. He heals very fast. Just don’t try to stab him, because Zeno will surely die.”

“The beast fell from a cliff and was perfectly fine, any normal human being would have been dead…” Yoon grumbled, crossing his arms. “Look, at any rate we need to continue along on our journey…”

“Yes, we have two more dragons to secure,” Yona agreed, smiling at Yoon. They both nodded, turning to each other to chat about their plans.

Hakuryuu turned to Zeno as the two younger ones talked amongst themselves, a confused expression on his face. He ignored him for a moment, waiting until he spoke.

“Why did you hide yourself?”

“Zeno didn’t want to give Hakuryuu false hope,” he replied, watching Yona carefully. “He wasn’t sure he could convince your guards that Zeno was truly Ouryuu. Zeno may be sturdy, but even he can’t take out a large group like that.”

For a moment he wondered how many lies he could tell everyone before they found out the truth. He was hoping it would be quite a few.

“Ah… I apologize on their behalf…”

“They shot an arrow at the lad.”

“What?!”

“Oh, but Zeno caught it, so don’t worry too much!”

“You caught an _arrow_?!”

* * *

 

“Right! Exactly like that, miss!”

Yona beamed at the praise, shifting into the pose once again. She raised the sword up, not surprised when one met the blade, the sharp clang filling the air. Quickly, she stepped back, matching the blows Zeno threw at her, the dragon carefully instructing her each time she was open. Every so often she would feel a careful tap against her skin or side, always the blunt end of the sword hitting her. She lunged back, skillfully blocking the sudden swing from above, once again hearing the sharp clang of the meeting metal.

“You’re getting better, miss!” He stated, pulling the sword back, giving her a bright smile. “Zeno is so proud! Sooner or later you’ll be able to fight anyone, he guesses!”

“Really?” She asked, smiling brightly as Zeno nodded quickly, giving her a thumbs up. “That makes me happy to hear!”

“Ahem.”

They both paused, glancing up at Hakuryuu, the white dragon with his arms crossed as he gave them a disapproving look. Yona tilted her head to the side unsure of what could possibly be bothering the dragon.

“Hakuryuu…?” She asked, lowering the sword to her side. “Is something wrong…?”

“You are the princess! Why are you learning to fight?” He asked, concern colouring his face. “Ouryuu and I should be protecting you, not you learning to fight!”

“Zeno believe it’s a good idea,” Zeno stated, shrugging as he stretched a bit. Yona watched him, watched as his posture began to change, ever so slightly, when directing a line of speech to the other. “Even King Hiryuu knew how to fight, he refused to stand by and let others sacrifice themselves for him.”

“How would you know this?”

Yona glanced at him, tilting her head in curiosity. How did he always seem to know this, or claim to know these things…?

“The Ouryuu before Zeno told him!” Zeno stated, shaking his head quickly. The girl nodded slowly, turning to Hakuryuu with a calm expression.

“I want to learn to fight,” she told him, looking at him calmly. “I was… Powerless before. I don’t want to be powerless again. I want to protect Yoon and Zeno, too.”

“Zeno can take care of himself, miss…”

She ignored him, looking at Hakuryuu with a pleading expression. After a moment he sighed, dropping his arms with reluctance.

“Alright, princess…” He mumbled, a pout forming on his face.

Did he feel unneeded by her?

“Don’t worry,” Yona smiled, stepping forward to grab at his arm, “you’re very vital to our survival. I’m not strong, yet, and Yoon can’t fight, and Zeno shouldn’t, either.”

“Ah?!”

“Don’t worry.” She smiled, tilting her head to the side. “Ah, wait, what is your name?”

“I beg your pardon?” Hakuryuu asked, looking at her in confusion, “my name?”

“Right! Zeno forgot to ask Hakuryuu his name! Zeno’s name is Zeno, and the miss’s name is Yona, with the lad’s name being Yoon!”  Zeno interrupted, leaning forward eagerly. “So, what is Hakuryuu’s name?”

Yona looked at him in surprise. “Zeno you actually said my name!”

“Eh? Zeno does that sometimes,” the yellow dragon muttered, shrugging slightly. He pointed to Hakuryuu, smiling brightly. “How about Hakuryuu, though? We don’t know his name! The miss and lad know Zeno’s name, so we should learn his name too!”

“Quit speaking of me as if I wasn’t here!”

“Sorry! Sorry, but what is Hakuryuu’s name?”

Yona studied his expression, watching as his face shifted into a conflicted one. She leaned forward, encouraging him with a smile. “Do you want us to call you Hakuryuu the entire time? It doesn’t feel very personal.”

“Zeno will call Hakuryuu his name if Hakuryuu wants!” The blond enthused, agreeing with Yona. They both disrupted the white dragon’s personal space, their eyes wide with pleading.

Hakuryuu laughed.

“Very well,” he chuckled, stepping back while shaking his head. “My name is Kija. You can call me Kija, if you want.”

“Hooray!”

“Kija, Kija, what a beautiful name!”

“Alright you rare beasts get over here! The food is ready!”

“The lad’s made food!” Zeno cheered, throwing his arms up, narrowly avoiding hitting the white dragon with the sword, a frantic yell of “watch it” being heard. “Ah! Zeno is sorry, Hakuryuu! Very sorry, very sorry!”

Yona smiled as Zeno took off quickly, chanting something that sounded very similar to food. His presence had grown to be such a constant for her, a reminder that she was becoming a completely new person without Hak or Soo-Won beside her. And with Yoon teaching her new things each day, it truly felt like if she ever saw her childhood friends again, they wouldn’t recognize her.

She tapped her chin in thought, frowning as she realized this would most likely be true. She had cut her hair (and Zeno’s scarf, which he still did not have a replacement for) off with the sword. She had gained new muscles on this journey so far, she thought, both from the walking and the weapon practice. For a brief moment she recalled the first time Zeno had her pick up the sword, feeling the strange weight in her hands. Now it was just an extension to her arm.

Yona wondered if she could shoot Soo-Won as she was now.

And yet at the mere thought of killing him, she trembled.

“Princess?!” Kija’s voice called out, just behind her, rushing forward instantly to her side. “Are you alright!?”

“Ah… I’m fine, Kija…”

“Are you sure?” He asked, a moment later Zeno reappearing from the direction he had gone off into, concern displayed clearly on his face. Without a word he pulled off his jacket, gently throwing it around Yona’s shoulders.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

“Zeno doesn’t believe the miss,” the blond stated, gently herding her and Kija towards the direction of Yoon. “Zeno thinks the miss is not fine at all. Don’t worry, you will have plenty of time to heal still.”

“What happened…?”

“Zeno will explain later, not right now. Right now,” Zeno stated, the smell of food reaching Yona’s nose a moment later, causing the girl to drool. “Zeno thinks that the miss just needs to eat something.”


	9. The Dragon's Claw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another thanks, as always, to my superb beta reader Cynic.  
> What would I do without you. Oh yeah, probably update with blunders.
> 
> Another thanks to Kou for pointing out a few things I hadn't caught. Thank you so much~!!

 

“Yoon.”

The boy looked up from the tear in Zeno’s jacket he had been working on as Yona came and sat beside him, stretching her legs out slightly. She watched as he nodded in acknowledgement of her, the two falling into a comfortable silence. They had come quite a way from when they first started, the hostility Yoon had toward her seeming to slowly vanish over time.

For that she was grateful.

“Yoon,” she repeated, leaning against the boy after a moment, humming quietly to herself. “Thank you so very much.”

“Don’t mention it, princess,” he replied, returning his attention to the stitch he was making. “It’s good for me, I suppose.”

“I was going to ask you…” She pressed her fingers to her chin, tilting her head to the side as she thought. “You’ve been teaching me to cook, and to sew, and to make medicine… But…”

“But what? Is that not good enough for you?”

“No, no it is!” She stated, gently waving her hand. “I was going to say, do you think you can teach me to make a scarf?”

Yoon looked at her with a questioning glance. “Why a scarf? I mean, sure, they’re easy enough, but…”

“Before we fell,” Yona sighed, shifting her weight to sit up on her own again, lowering her hands into her lap. “Zeno put his jacket over me, and he used his scarf to tie up and hide my hair. I was caught, and in order to get free I cut my hair, which cut up his scarf… I didn’t think to grab any of it because he was holding on for dear life, but…”

“Ah,” the boy’s voice was full of understanding, Yoon gently patting Yona’s head. “You want to thank him?”

“Yes. He’s been protecting me this whole time when he shouldn’t have to… And I feel bad about ruining his scarf, it looked like he cherished it and now it’s gone.”

Yoon chuckled. Yona looked at him, her eyes wide as his face had broken into a smile, the boy shaking his head.

“I need to apologize, Princess,” he laughed, giving her a bright smile. “You’re astounding. I thought you were just a spoiled brat, but here you are, thinking of someone else!”

She huffed. “I was forbidden from going outside, Yoon. I’m Kouka’s princess, and yet I didn’t know anything that was happening outside the castle walls…” She crossed her arms in a pout. “My father kept me inside. And now, I want to learn all I can…”

“You have two dragons on your side to protect you,” Yoon commented, leaning back a little, adjusting the string and needle as he attempted to fasten the stitch. The girl nodded, sighing slightly.

“I want to protect them, just like I want to protect you,” she muttered. “I want to learn to heal them when you’re too busy and not be able to, I want to learn to create distractions so they can escape…”

“You can’t take the weight of the world onto your shoulders, you know.”

“I can try, though.”

She got up after that, dusting her dress off, humming to herself. She paused, glancing up at the sky.

“You shouldn’t,” Yoon grumbled, shaking his head a bit. “You of all people shouldn’t.”

They fell silent again, the boy getting up with a sigh, handing Zeno’s coat to her. “Here, take this to that beast. And tell him to try to stop getting it caught on stuff all the time, whether it’s a sword or not.”

“Ah, okay Yoon.”

“And if it's available in the next village, let's look for some cloth for that scarf, okay?”

She took the jacket with a bright smile, nodding her head before rushing off into the trees, attempting to locate the two dragons. She had seen them this way, hadn’t she?

When had this become the life she enjoyed?

Not that she was complaining. She enjoyed her day, from sparring with Zeno to learning from Yoon, to hearing stories about his village from Kija. The days made her feel so happy, so excited to wake up. They would sit together, listening to the stories Zeno would spin from what the previous Ouryuu had told him, amazing stories about the original dragons, about King Hiryuu, stories she had never heard before.

The days went by quickly, always something new happening. Both Kija and Zeno had clarified that the closest dragon now would be Seiryuu, the blue dragon, off near the border. They made their way towards him, stopping at night.

Night was a very amusing time.

“We’re sleeping here?!” Kija asked, watching in shock as they had settled down after the first night of traveling together, his eyes narrowing at the other three.

“Yup!” Yona hummed, nodding with a smile.

“Zeno’s tired, let’s sleep, let’s sleep!”

“But there’s bugs! Wouldn’t you prefer to sleep in an inn?”

“Seeing as we’re short on funds,” Yoon grumbled, gesturing around him. “As well as the fact that there are none around…”

To be honest, Yona was not sure if Kija had actually slept at all that night. He most likely hasn’t slept well lately, especially after his new found fear and disgust of bugs. There wasn’t much any of them could do about it, Yoon had promised that he’d make a tent as soon as he could, but that could take a while, and who knew how big the tent would be. Perhaps they all could help him make it. Kija could certainly carry all the materials, couldn’t he? He was strong enough, at least in his one arm.

She shook her head free of her thoughts, spotting the two dragons in a small clearing. She ran over, smiling brightly.

“Kija! Zeno!” She greeted, coming to a halt as Kija got up quickly to bow to her. “Ah, Kija, no you don’t need to do that.”

“But of course I do!” He stated, giving her a bright eyed pout. “You’re both my master, as well as the princess! It’s only out of respect!”

“The miss seems to have issues with that sort of thing since the castle,” Zeno explained, getting up slowly, stretching his arms with a hum. “Zeno was telling Hakuryuu about what he was told!”

“Oh, more stories about the original dragons and Ouryuu’s life?” Yona asked as she passed Zeno his jacket, her eyes sparkling. She loved hearing the stories.

“More to the extent he was teaching me how to better hide my presence from others,” Kija corrected, a frown settling on his face. “Though, I’m perplexed: Why would I want to hide myself?”

“Zeno thinks that Ryokuryuu may be difficult to recruit if he knows all of us are coming for him,” Zeno stated, pulling his brightly coloured jacket back on. After a moment though he crossed his arms, a frown settling on his face. “Ryokuryuu's the flighty one, after all. He's not the type to take orders well."

“Oh?”

Zeno nodded, his expression serious. “Yes, and if what the other Ouryuu told Zeno was true, the current Ryokuryuu escaped. Zeno is guessing that on the lad’s map, Ryokuryuu would be in Awa, though……” He tilted his head to the side, lost in thought for a moment. “But, Zeno is still thinking that it would be best for Hakuryuu to learn how to hide himself as a dragon so we can sneak up on Ryokuryuu! Perhaps with Seiryuu too…”

“You certainly know a lot about this,” Kija grumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance before letting out a deep sigh. “Nothing my granny, nor my father, taught me was ever this extensive…”

“Ouryuu has had a long time to travel,” Zeno stated, shrugging. “Ouryuu doesn’t have a village like the other dragons. Ouryuu has been a direct blood line since the first generation.”

“How impressive! You’re related to the first Ouryuu?!”

Zeno looked grave for a moment, nodding his head slightly. “Zeno was named after the first Ouryuu, and they even look the same, apparently. Or at least, Zeno’s mother said so.”

 

* * *

 

 He wondered why he kept adding onto the lie.

Zeno wasn’t a descendant of Ouryuu, nor was there an Ouryuu before him, aside from the dragon. And yet for some reason, he continued to tell the three in his care the same lie, let them believe he was much younger than he actually was. He has been the only Ouryuu to exist in this world, aside from the dragon god himself, and yet he constantly kept telling them otherwise. Now he was saying that Ouryuu was a direct bloodline…?

When he thought of it, he must have been a pretty good liar for them to believe him. The moment the web of lies he was spinning came undone would be his disturbing downfall. He just prayed they would still accept him then.

“You sure are full of mysteries,” Kija sighed, pausing as he glanced around. Zeno frowned, noting the sudden worried look on the others face. He glanced around with a frown, leaning close as Kija began to mutter something, turning to Yona.

“Get close to us, princess.” He stated, his voice low and laced with heavy concern. Zeno smiled as Yona didn’t bother to hesitate, darting forward and grabbing onto his arm, glancing around the area.

“Is someone coming?” She asked, clinging to his arm as the two dragons glanced at each other with a nod.

“A few people,” Kija stated. “Yoon should be safe, it would be best if you took off to him, but…”

“Zeno thinks they’re too close, the miss wouldn’t have time to get there…” Zeno interrupted, gesturing slightly to the sword at Yona’s side. “The miss has to stay with us.”

“Are we to protect her as the dragon warriors protected Hiryuu all that time ago?”

“Ouryuu didn’t really do any protecting, but Zeno is not going to let the miss get hurt.”

They both nodded again, Kija stepping in front as a group of what Zeno guessed to be bandits appeared from between the trees, each of them wearing a wicked grin. He felt Yona’s hand tighten around his arm, the dragon smiling slightly.

“Well, miss,” he spoke, quietly enough that only she could hear him. “Do you think you’re ready to test out your swordsman skills on these bandits?”

“I… Am not so sure, not yet…”

“Right, then stay behind Zeno, okay?”

“Ah, what have we here?” One of the bandits spoke, approaching Kija with an arrogant swagger. “We have some pretty folks out here in the mountains, aye?” Zeno watched as the white dragon remained silent, watched as the man lifted a knife in his hand up to press it carefully against his face. “This guy looks like a rather nice catch, if I do say so myself! Such a pretty face, it would sell well!”

“Princess,” Kija’s voice was sharp, disdainful about the blade resting against his cheek. “Would you mind if I cut them all up?”

“Kija.”

The dragon slumped forward for a moment, the man with the blade stepping back in shock. “Huh? What’s gotten into you, what’s with all the shaking? Don’t worry, stay calm, we don’t want to kill any of you!”

Zeno was amazed at the speed of Kija reaching out, skillfully slashing at the bandit. To the untrained eye it probably looked like he was struck by an unseen force. The man stepped back with a pained cry, one of the bandit’s companions lurching forward to catch him.

“What happened?!”

“He struck me!”

There was a soft chuckle from Kija. Zeno glanced at him, the dragon glancing up at the bandits with a dark smile. “Oh,” he spoke, straightening himself out. “Did that hurt?” For a split moment Kija’s right hand grew in size, becoming the giant claw of the dragon that Zeno thought he would never see again with Guen’s passing. “This power… The power that kept waiting to protect its master for a millennium is something that even I cannot control.”

“Ah?! What is with that arm?!”

Zeno turned himself to shield Yona better, a slight smile forming on his face. It had been a long time since Hakuryuu’s arm was used.

“What’s happened to his arm?!” Yona demanded, her purple eyes widening in shock.

“That’s the power of Hakuryuu.”

“I am so sorry to have kept you waiting,” Kija muttered, lunging forward quickly to take on the bandits, a wide grin forming on his face. “Arm of the White Dragon.”

“That snarl does not suit Hakuryuu!” Zeno stated, the bandits screaming in confused fear about the monster that was before them.

 “Be quiet, child!”

“… Ah, Zeno was wondering when one of you would get to him and the miss.” He pulled Yona close as he spoke, turning to face the bandit that had escaped Kija’s flurry of movement. He forced himself to smile, grabbing Yona’s sword quickly and pulling it out, pointing it at the man. “Zeno warns you, he’s not very strong like Hakuryuu, but he could still take you out.”

“Zeno that’s my sword!”

“Zeno needed to borrow it!”

“You children,” the man interrupted, glowering at the two of them, “are very noisy. You should be silenced.”

Zeno narrowed his eyes as the man stepped forward, spotting a hand lifting a knife, much like the first man that Kija had struck. Quickly, despite the limitations of holding onto Yona so tightly, he swung forward, knocking the knife to the ground.

“Zeno would like to see you try,” he stated, listening to Kija continue to fight. “Zeno does not go down easily.”

He didn’t have a moment to think until Kija stepped in, knocking the man down to the ground.

“What were you thinking?!” He demanded, turning to face Zeno. “You barely did anything! You left them all to me!”

“Zeno was protecting the miss!”

“Thankfully that was the last one! You two could have been in some serious trouble if I didn’t step in!”

Zeno was pretty sure he could have handled himself. He shrugged, watching in alarm as Kija collapsed to the ground. Yona let out a startled cry.

“Kija?!”

“I’m… fine… I just overexerted myself too much…” Kija grumbled, groaning softly as he attempted to get back up, slowly dusting himself off. “If Zeno had actually done something, maybe I wouldn’t have… I was planning on a much more refined fight…”

“But, Ouryuu’s always been the one closer to Hiryuu,” Zeno stated, shaking his head. “Zeno was doing what he had been told by the other Ouryuu.”

“Is that so…”

“What happened over here?!”

They looked up as Yoon stumbled out from the trees, several things packed and being carried. He looked around in shock, quite clearly not understanding the situation.

“Bandits.”

“They came from out of nowhere.”

“Kija’s arm is amazing!”

“Whatever!” Yoon grumbled, shaking his head. “Leaving you three alone is too dangerous! We should hurry and find the next two dragons!”

“What about the bandits?” Yona asked, tilting her head to the side.

Zeno almost laughed. Out of everything she could be worried about, she was worried about the bandits. How very like Hiryuu.

“Just tie them up or something, if we had a cart we could take them to a village to be dealt with, but we can’t,” Yoon stated, shaking his head. “We don’t have time to play around, princess. We need to hurry, remember?”

“Zeno thinks the lad is trying to hurry things a little too much.”

“I think we need to hurry and get as far away from these idiots as fast and soon as possible before the sun sets!”

“Right, right,” Zeno sighed, nodding his head. He let go of Yona quickly, darting forward and attempting to round the bandits up, groaning slightly as he struggled to get them piled on top of each other. “Zeno is not very strong, you see, so this is very difficult for him to do.”

“Zeno can do it!” Yona cheered, throwing her hands up in the air.

 _Oh. Since when did she start mimicking me?_ He thought, smiling a bit as he somehow managed to get the last bandit stacked with the rest.

“Okay,” Yoon sighed, shaking his head quickly. “Are we ready to move forward?”

“Yup!”

“Where to, Yoon?”

Yoon shook his head, pulling the map out with a frown. “Zeno said Seiryuu is around…”

“Around here!” Zeno confirmed, pointing to a spot on the map. It was near the border, perhaps a few days away. “What does Hakuryuu think?”

“Hmm,” He frowned as he leaned over the map, the group ignoring the barely conscious groans of the men in the sloppily built man pile. “That direction, for sure… Amazing how you can pin point them from this far, Zeno…”

“Zeno will teach Hakuryuu how to do that!”

“Anyway,” Yoon sighed, whacking Zeno with the map. “Let’s get moving. We’re battling sunlight here, remember?”

“Right, right!”


	10. Journey to Seiryuu Village

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always to Cynic for beta reading.  
> Thank you also to Kou for demanding that you couldn't wait, thus making me write faster.  
> Also, thanks to everyone who's read so far! I'm glad you're enjoying it!  
> Also, before you ask, I kept referring to Abi as a female so GUESS WHAT A DIFFERENT STORY IS NOW THE CURRENT DAY OF MURKY'S GS!Abi series. BECAUSE DAMMIT IT'S ANNOYING ALWAYS SCREWING THAT UP.

“Here?”

Zeno shook his head, a frown settling on his face. “No, no Zeno thinks it’s further towards the mountains.”

“I agree… It’s still further north than we currently are…” Kija muttered, crossing his arms as he stood over the sleepy village, a thin frown gracing his face. “This is frustrating, it seems like the village keeps moving the closer we get…”

“That,” Zeno sighed, sighing heavily with a stretch, “is most likely because we’re constantly traveling. Seiryuu likes to move about, but it’s always in the same general area…”

Yona sighed as they quickly returned to the road, following it towards the north, towards the mountains that bordered Kouka. If she was right, that was the last village that was on the map this far. Where on earth was this dragon sense taking them, exactly?

“Speaking of,” Yoon spoke, glancing up at them from the map, a frown crossing his face. “Are we going to have the element of surprise? Would it even be necessary?”

“Zeno has been very diligent in making sure I am masking myself,” Kija informed, a slight huff escaping his lips. “Although I have yet to understand why. Is Seiryuu not a fellow dragon? Why are we hiding from him?”

“Zeno just thinks it’d be best!” He stated.

It had been a few days since they left the safety of the forest, the group crossing various fields, passing by many villages and farms along the way. They had made sure to stop in the villages occasionally (Yoon only, the boy deeming the other three too suspicious and thus they had to wait outside the village), trading what medicines and herbs they had for money, or exchanging them for other things they could use.

And, as promised, Yoon and Yona searched the first village that sold cloth, debating over what sort of fabric to make Zeno’s replacement scarf from.

“You want green?” Yoon had grumbled in disbelief that day, setting the vibrantly decorated cloth he had been holding back down, giving her a look. “Just green? You don’t want to make this something amazing and spectacular?”

“No, no just a green the same colour as his headband,” Yona had stated, carefully thumbing through the fabric. “Besides… I doubt we could afford any of that beautiful cloth anyway, Yoon.”

“Yeah, you’re right…” The boy fell silent, assisting Yona in her search. After a moment he pulled one out, showing it to her. “This?”

“Ah! Yes! That’s really close!”

“It looks like the only one this colour,” he stated, glancing over the rest of the cloth, a frown settling on his face. “Huh, odd. Where did he even get that scarf from, anyway?”

“I never asked.”

They had purchased as much of the fabric as they could and took off in order to finish the rest of the errands they had set out for themselves, debating between whether they had enough to buy meat for dinner that evening or not. A simple conversation, one they had often, one that made Yona smile.

“Eh, Zeno still thinks we have a day’s trip, at most,” the yellow dragon grumbled, startling Yona from her thoughts. “It’s beginning to take quite a while…”

“You were the one that said Seiryuu was the closest, Yellow!” Yoon snapped, glaring daggers at Zeno. “So you can be silent!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

She couldn’t help but smile at the group she had collected, the three bickering slightly about the location of the next dragon. Despite the hunger she sometimes felt at night, the ache in her heart for the comforts of Hiryuu Castle, Yona was amazed to find herself slowly beginning to prefer the situation she was in. She couldn’t imagine waking up without hearing Zeno complaining about how hungry he was, the random moments during the day when Kija would let out a startled scream at a flying bug, or even Yoon yelling at all three of them when they were in a heated debate about something that was most likely very silly.

Her old life seemed to fade away with each passing day, the princess learning things that she never would have learned in the castle.

For a moment she forgot who she had been in favour of who she was becoming.

“Princess, you’re pretty quiet,” Yoon noticed, turning to look at her. She could only smile and nod, clapping her hands together.

“I’m just very happy,” she replied, giving her brightest smile. “All three of you are very cute, you see.”

“I am not cute!”

“The dragon warriors are very cute, Zeno agrees!”

“Don’t encourage her! She’ll make us put our hair up all fancy!” Yoon snapped, crossing his arms as he glared at Zeno. “This is the start of it, you rare beast! Next thing you know she’ll be making us try on dresses and decorating our faces!”

She laughed, clapping her hands together again as she watched the three bicker. She wondered if Seiryuu and Ryokuryuu would be like this, as well. Would they join in? Would they make comments that made the rest of them laugh? What would they talk about, even? What did they sound like? What were they like?

Yona couldn’t wait to meet them. She couldn’t wait to hear their stories, to see how they fought, if they fought. To be able to witness the power of the Gods that they possessed…

“Anyway…” Yoon grumbled, waving the map in front of everyone’s eyes, attempting to get them back on track. “We have what, a day’s trip Zeno guessed? Until we get to Seiryuu Village?”

“Yup! Zeno is never wrong about these things, you see!”

“Rare beasts are not allowed to commentate!” Yoon yelled, swatting the dragon with the map, Zeno exclaiming loudly in protest.

Yona was amazed to find she loved every minute of her life as it currently was.

 

* * *

 

Zeno lead the three off, marching to a song he could vaguely remember Guen singing at one point. It was from the first Hakuryuu’s days as a soldier, a song to keep morale up, if he remembered correctly. It had been a very long time, both Abi and Shuten yelling at the white dragon to desist with the song while both Zeno and Hiryuu joined in with enthusiasm.

“What is that song you’re singing?!” Kija demanded, covering his ears.

Perhaps his singing wasn’t the best, though.

“It’s an old army song!” He explained, pausing to turn to the other, shaking a finger. “An old friend of Zeno’s used to sing it all the time when they walked to places! Every so often it gets stuck in Zeno’s head, very nostalgic, you see.”

“It sounds a lot like the song the Royal Guard would sing sometimes,” Yona had muttered, her eyes bright and curious. “Was your friend part of the guard?”

“Eh, something like that.”

The sun hung over them as they continued to walk, the yellow dragon continuing to sing the tune. Slowly, Yona began to hum along with him. After a while of just the two of them being the only vocals, Yoon joined in, his voice low as he muttered the words along with them, stretching his arms above his head.

Perhaps an hour later Kija finally joined in, humming slowly, only humming parts the dragon was most likely was sure of.

Zeno couldn’t be prouder, shifting his weight to add a bounce to his step, throwing his arms in the air.

“Zeno has gotten the song stuck in all of your heads!” He cheered, landing quickly and turning to face the rest of them, their faces ranging from various degrees of shock or surprise. “Zeno is very proud of you all!”

“You beast!” Yoon groaned, shaking his head quickly.

“How dare you?!”

“It’s catchy…”

He could only laugh as he led them off, marching with a proud stance, just the way he had been taught centuries ago. For a moment he could pretend he was back in time, Guen enthusiastically cheering from the back as Zeno marched off to whatever he was off to do, Hiryuu laughing at the two, calling them cute little dragons…

“Zeno?

He paused, turning to face Yona. “Yeah?”

“Do you know anything about Seiryuu?”

“Seiryuu?” He frowned a bit, tilting his head to the side. What about Seiryuu’s eyes could he remember by watching Abi? “Seiryuu was given the eyes of the blue dragon. They’re very beautiful, you see. They can paralyze their enemies, but that also backfires onto them, as well… And they can see very, very far into the distance.”

“Wow!” Yona enthused, smiling brightly. “Really?”

“Of course!” Kija added, nodding his head. “Seiryuu’s eyes are amazing. They’re the power of the blue dragon god, after all.”

“But they’re the reason why the village keeps moving a lot…” Zeno sighed, pausing. “It started with the first Seiryuu… People both adored and feared her eyes, so they tried beheading her. Zeno’s not sure if they thought they could use the power of Seiryuu’s eyes with a dead Seiryuu…”

That was right before the dragons had decided to go into hiding. Abi had spent a lot of time in Hiryuu’s mausoleum after that, crying. Nothing any of them could do could help Abi, and since then she began covering her eyes. Wasn’t that what started the whole thing of disguising Seiryuu’s eyes, after all? And when he visited Seiryuu Village, all those years ago, the current Seiryuu hid behind a mask.

Zeno wasn’t going to admit he was happy about leaving the child behind, leaving him in the village that thought he was a curse. If things had gone his way, he would still be watching over Yona, waiting to see how she went about recruiting the other three dragons, and then decide from there if he was to join her.

“Zeno thinks,” he began, tapping his chin as he thought. “That Seiryuu may be a little tricky to convince to join us…”

“What do you mean?” Kija asked, looking at him in shock. “He’s a dragon warrior, wouldn’t he want to serve his master?”

“Hakuryuu, you need to realize not all of the dragons believe their ability is a gift,” Zeno responded, looking at Kija with a serious expression.

That shut Kija up rather quickly, the dragon looking at him in confusion. For whatever reason, though, he didn’t reply, instead fell into a contemplative thought.

“Zeno think we may need to convince the village to let us stay,” he continued, crossing his arms in thought. “He doubts they’d let us all stay, as perfectly healthy as we all are…”

“So what, you want one of us to get hurt?!” Yoon asked, shaking his head. “No, I refuse to let that happen!”

“No, no, Zeno is not suggesting that. Zeno is suggesting that someone pretends to be hurt,” He corrected, waving his arm at the other with a frown. “Zeno would never ask one of his precious friends to hurt themselves.”

“But how on earth do we fool an entire village?” Kija asked.

“Bandages!”

They looked at Yona, her purple eyes sparkling. Zeno smiled and nodded, clapping his hands together. “The miss has a good idea!”

“If we bandage someone up as if they were hurt,” she explained, “they’d be sure to let us stay, even for a day, right?”

“But who are we going to bandage up…” Yoon sighed, shaking his head. “This seems foolish, why wouldn’t they let us stay?”

“Seiryuu Village does not take kindly to outsiders,” Zeno replied, shrugging. He stretched his arms, letting out a slight hum as he glanced at the sky. What would Abi think of how degraded and rejected Seiryuu’s eyes had become? Surely she would be furious.

“Well, then whichever of us is best as faking injury should do it,” Kija sighed, crossing his arms. “Since the village is close, I think, we should discuss that now…”

“A days trip away!” Zeno agreed.

They continued on, talking amongst themselves. That night they began to prepare, Yona and Yoon arguing over how best to fake injuries. If Zeno was correct, they settled upon some form of wrapping.

He just hoped they knew what they were doing.

The morning came quickly the next day, the four of them getting up with a stretch, Zeno jumping up with enthusiasm.

“Today we go fetch Seiryuu!” He cheered, throwing his arms up and reaching for the heavens.

“Yay!” Yona added, the girl clapping her hands quickly. “I can’t wait to meet Seiryuu!”

 

* * *

 

“Hurry, hurry!”

They scaled the mountain side, Zeno rushing forward eagerly. Yona watched him with surprise, struggling to keep up.

‘”How are you managing to climb this so quickly?!” She demanded, slipping on a loose rock before falling forward. “Ah!”

Kija caught her, thankfully, helping her get orientated.

“Zeno has great endurance!” The yellow dragon enthused, pausing as he reached a seemingly flat surface. “Always has! Zeno never tires, you see.”

“Is that the power of Ouryuu?” Kija grumbled, carefully finding his footing as he made his way up, giving Zeno a quick glance of annoyance. “This would be very handy knowledge for the village, for the next Ouryuu…”

Yona watched as Zeno seemed to freeze, shaking his head quickly. “No, no this is just Zeno.”

“You rare beasts are all annoying!” Yoon yelled, struggling to keep up, still quite a distance behind them. “Even the princess is further up than me!”

They paused, turning to face him as he stumbled up, the boy giving each of them dark glares. He stomped past both Kija and Yona, up to the flat land Zeno was on, ignoring him as he brushed off any help Zeno could offer.

“… Oops,” Yona mumbled, her shoulders dropping. “We made Yoon mad.”

“Zeno shudders to think what this will mean for their meals…”

“You’re not getting any until I’m satisfied you’re sorry for leaving me behind!” Yoon snapped, giving them a glare. “Fend for yourselves!”

“That’s harsh!” Yona and Zeno stated, the girl catching up quickly. Zeno had grabbed Yoon’s arm, gently tugging on it.

“The lad’s cooking is so much better!” He tried explaining, his voice turning into a high pitched whine. “Zeno can’t cook very well, and the miss’s cooking is still burnt!”

“Hey!”

“He’s right, princess, your cooking is… Not very skilled, as of yet…” Kija mumbled, finally catching up, nearly tripping over the bottom of his robe. Yona turned on him, whacking him upside the head with an annoyed huff. “Ouch! Why did you hit me?!”

“My cooking is impeccable!” She stated with a huff, crossing her arms. “Yoon’s teaching me to cook!”

“… No, they’re right, Princess. You are all hopeless without me…” Yoon sighed, smacking his face with his hand, his shoulders dropping. Yona crossed her arms with an indignant huff at his words. “What did I get myself into with you three…?”

“The lad gets to explore the country though!” Zeno enthused, clapping his hands. “Zeno still remembers the excitement the lad had when we first left! Remember that, Miss? The lad was so overjoyed and stating he would write his journeys down!”

“You don’t need to say that out loud!” Yoon yelled, smacking Zeno’s head, the yellow dragon laughing about the boy’s affection.

“The lad is vicious today!”

“Shut up you rare beast! We have a village to approach!”


	11. Within the Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crazed laughter as I fly off into the sunset*  
> Thanks to Cynic as always for being the superb beta!

“He’s here!”

Zeno paused as he looked up at the wide cave carved into the side of the cliff, smiling brightly at the familiar sense of the young Seiryuu he had met all those years ago, deep within the mountain side. He stepped forward, feeling a hand on his arm suddenly. Curiously, he turned to look behind him, Yoon frowning deeply.

“Listen, Yellow, we need to be careful,” he warned, tugging the dragon back towards him. “We know next to nothing about this village. We don’t know how they’ll treat us as we step inside those caves.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, once they know that King Hiryuu, as well as Hakuryuu and Ouryuu, are here to retrieve Seiryuu!” Kija exclaimed, gently brushing the boy aside, marching past Zeno with confidence. “We must retrieve him quickly and be off to fetch Ryokuryuu!”

“And I’m saying we don’t know anything about this place! We need to be more discreet!”

This made Kija pause, the dragon turning to look at Yoon with a confused gaze. “Why must we…?” He asked. “If they are anything like my village-”

“We don’t know that!”

“Zeno thinks we should proceed, but carefully!” Zeno stated, crossing his arms. “What do you think, Miss?”

His statement startled Yona, the girl jumping slightly as she looked at them, her eyes wide in shock. “Eh?!”

“What do you think, Princess?” Yoon grumbled, mimicking Zeno’s stance, crossing his arms with an annoyed expression. “Should we march in there and demand to have Seiryuu brought out, or take it carefully?”

“We shouldn’t go demanding anything, after all, it’s such a selfish reason I’m wanting to recruit Seiryuu…”

“Do not say such things!”

Zeno waved his hand, easily silencing Kija with a stern “shush”. “The miss has decided, we’ll go in, and sample the waters, right?”

“Right.”

He led the way, turning quickly on his heels and marching in carefully, keeping a close eye on Kija. The white dragon looked annoyed, his arms crossed as he grumbled something along the walk, the cave suddenly engulfing them, the entrance swallowing them as the light from the outside began to fade. Zeno paused, checking to make sure Yona was behind him, stepping quickly to herd the girl after the others, keeping a careful grip on her arm.

“Does it feel odd in here, or is Zeno going crazy…?” He asked, the girl nodding slowly as she glanced around at the walls.

“You’re crazy,” Yoon stated, shaking his head slightly. “There is nothing wrong with-”

There was the sound of fabric being flipped, the group jumping in surprise as people looked out past several blankets, each blanket covering another cave branching off from the main one. Zeno pulled Yona closer to him, Yoon and Kija watching in shock as people slowly came out from hiding.

“We have guests…?” One finally spoke, leaning heavily into the branch he used as a cane.

“Bring Seiryuu here!”

“Well, there goes any plans of being discreet,” Yoon grumbled, his shoulders dropping with a heavy sigh, shaking his head.

“Seiryuu…?” The man spoke, falling silent as he glanced around at the many people that had slipped out of the mini caves, a frown settling on his face. “There is nobody here with a name like that.”

“It is not a name,” Kija stated, frowning. “It is the person who has the blood of the dragon.”

“He doesn’t need to hide!” Zeno added, gesturing slightly towards Yona, the girl looking at him as if he was crazy. “Tell him the miss is waiting!”

A heavy silence fell over the small group that had begun to surround the four, the pressure of it weighing down on them. After a moments of silence, silence that had begun to feel like much longer than it actually had been, the tenant spoke, his voice low.

“I don’t know what it is you are telling me,” he began, Zeno wincing at the heavy authority that seemed to layer itself in his voice. “Don’t you have the wrong location? This is nothing but a small village.”

He gestured towards the villagers gathered. “It’s a place where the poor who managed to escape from the conflicts of the Fire Tribe thrive in peace. We are not disturbed much, so this is a bother.”

Zeno glanced at Kija, the man’s eyes growing wide in confusion.

“But…”

“I’m sorry,” Yona spoke quickly, stepping forward slightly. “We were traveling to find someone, but it seems he wasn’t here.” She bowed slightly, a hushed silence falling over the village at her words. “If it’s not too much of a bother, would we be able to rest here, just for a while? We’re rather tired from our journey, plus my friend has had a nasty cough lately.”

Almost on cue Kija coughed, nearly doubling over as if the cough came from the bottom of his chest. Zeno had to hand it to him, the cough was nearly believable, the white dragon attempting to clear his throat as he straightened, Yoon quickly rushing to his side with a genuine panic in his eyes.

“That… Must have been difficult.” The man spoke, glancing at the ground before them, closing his eyes with a resigned sigh. “As you can see, we are a poor village, so we cannot provide any special treatment…”

“We don’t mind,” Zeno stated, smiling brightly as he clapped his hands together, bowing deeply in thanks. “Thank you!”

The man shook his head, gesturing for the group to follow them, sighing heavily. It took a moment before they responded, Zeno once again leading the group, adding a bounce to his steps as he hummed. They passed several people as they walked, many of them wearing masks.

Where the masks had come from Zeno wasn’t sure, the dragon watching in curiosity as a person hurried past them, the mask itself seeming to falter, falling slightly down their face. He quickly fixed the strings that tied around his head, continuing along his path.

“What are those masks for?” Yona asked, Zeno glancing at her with a smile.

“It is a custom,” their guide stated. “Those who are unmarried do not show their faces in front of others often…”

“That’s interesting,” Zeno mused, watching as the three behind him nodded. He remembered from his one trip to visit the current Seiryuu that he wore a mask, just him.

“It is probably an astonishing thing from your point of view,” the man grumbled, shaking his head. “… Oh, and my guest…”

Zeno turned to face him, much like the others. For a split second the man had a suddenly dark aura surround him, making the dragon stumble back in shock.

“It is like a maze when you enter this place,” he began, turning away from them. “Do not wander very far. It is not our responsibility if something happens.”

He left them in a room, the silence he left behind surrounding them, the four looking at each other with confused glances. After a moment Yoon spoke, shaking his head.

“Is this place really the village of the Seiryuu,” he wondered, glancing at the ceiling.

“Why?” Kija asked him, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Unlike the village of Hakuryuu,” Yoon mentioned, shifting his weight to sit down, resting his back against the wall, glancing over at the white dragon. “They weren’t so thankful, and they didn’t react to Yona’s red hair when they saw it.”

“P… Princess! I definitely feel it!” Kija exclaimed, turning to look at Yona with wide eyes. Zeno nodded.

“Seiryuu is here!” He added, sitting on the ground as well, pressing the bottoms of his feet together as he leaned forward, invading Yoon’s space unintentionally. “Zeno can sense him!”

“You two are so silly!” Yona laughed, clapping her hands together. “I don’t doubt either of you!”

“O… Okay!” Kija stated, a look of sheer joy spreading across his face.

Zeno watched as Yoon got up with a stretch, the boy sighing heavily. “Alright, so we know that Seiryuu is close by then, according to the rare beasts,” he grumbled, “so then we must meet the person himself or we can’t get started. So then let’s go while there’s nobody around to bother us!”

“The man said the place is like a maze, Lad,” Zeno reasoned, shifting his weight as he got up himself, sighing heavily at having to stand so quickly again.

“Will we be alright, Yoon?” Yona asked, turning to the boy. He laughed, nodding quickly.

“Princess, I am a genius pretty boy, right?” He stated, quickly pulling something from his bag, holding it up proudly. “I’ll make a map while we’re here, and then we’ll take this place by storm!”

“Search through the village!” Zeno cheered, throwing his arms up in the air with a quick jump, a laugh settled in his voice. “Clear out all the pots and storage! Let’s conquer!”

“Let’s conquer!” Yona chimed in, a grin on her face.

“Conquer?” Kija asked, almost confused as the other three took off quickly, leaving him behind. “Ah, wait!”

They took off, searching the caves with an excited flourish, Yoon mumbling to himself as they walked. Zeno took it as a good sign as he led them through the caves, once again humming the marching song stuck in his head because of Guen, Yona joining in as they walked. Several times they had to stop, both for Yoon to scribble in his book and for Zeno and Kija to call a mini conference, debating which direction the dragon sense was pulling them.

More often than not they came to a dead end.

“Why isn’t Seiryuu here?” Yoon almost yelled, hitting a wall in frustration as they had approached yet another dead end, the boy huffing as he scribbled furiously in his book, Yona watching him in fascination.

“This is inexcusable, Seiryuu!” Kija grumbled, his voice rising ever so slightly, the dragon knocking on the walls in annoyance. “Why has he not come out?! He ought to know both Zeno and I are nearby!”

“Maybe Seiryuu is shy?” Zeno suggested, shrugging slightly.

“Ah, right, he should sense both Ouryuu and Hakuryuu, too, right?” Yona mumbled, gently tapping her chin as she thought. “Perhaps instead he doesn’t want to come out very much… If that’s the case, we should leave Seiryuu alone…”

“No!” Kija exclaimed, looking at her in alarm. Zeno watched him lean forward, clenching both his hands into fists in determination. “Please do not give up! Seiryuu has been connected by blood for a long time, just like Zeno and me! If that is so, he should be waiting!”

“For King Hiryuu!” Zeno agreed, a smile forming on his face.

“For you!” Kija stated, looking at Yona with desperation. “The Four Dragons were originally born just for that purpose. We do not wish for anything but that! If Seiryuu meets you too then surely…”

“Kija, Zeno, I am not King Hiryuu.”

“…Yes.”

“I am not King Hiryuu, but I do want you. Both of you.” Yona stated, “I apologize for being selfish.”

“It… It is not a problem…”

“Hakuryuu’s face is growing red!”

“Be quiet, Zeno!”

He couldn’t help but laugh, glancing over at Yoon, the boy’s expression going blank for a brief moment, a suddenly ill look crossing his face.

“Hey, guys…” He began, glancing around quickly, “On a much more important note, let’s go back. I kind… Of have a bad feeling about this place…”

“Huh?” Yona asked, turning to him with confusion. “What is it?”

“Somebody is watching…” Yoon mumbled, shaking his head quickly. “They’re staring at us with big eyes…”

“Zeno agrees,” he muttered, frowning as he glanced around. Was this Seiryuu watching them? “Zeno definitely thinks it’s a strange presence.”

“Anyway, I think I found the spot the villagers are, let’s go…”

 

* * *

 

Yona watched as they took off, sighing softly as she stretched her arms. It was a letdown, she decided, not being able to meet Seiryuu.

As she stepped away from the wall there was a soft, subtle sound, almost a soft squeak of a small creature. She looked at the wall in confusion, stepping forward and pressing her ear against it. The voices of her friends began to fade as she listened, determined to hear that voice again.

“A squeaky voice,” she muttered, sighing and leaning back, her hand pressing against a loose rock. From out of nowhere the ground began to tremble slightly, the girl stepping back in alarm as a door appeared from out of nowhere, looking up in confusion at the entrance it had created.

“There’s a pathway,” she stated, leaning forward in curiosity, something darting forward out of the corner of her eye.

It was a small squirrel, the creature darting towards her with big, black eyes.

“Aw!” She exclaimed, leaning forward and scooping the critter up, a smile forming on her face as the squirrel seemed to wiggle about in content. “Zeno! There’s an animal here!”

She turned around, facing the sudden emptiness of the supposed dead end, a feeling of dread sinking into her. The candles that had been lit earlier, strange to the group at first, seemed to suddenly blow out, the princess surrounded in a sudden darkness.

“Zeno!” She exclaimed, the squirrel jumping from her hands as she looked around. “Kija! Yoon!”

Yona looked around, forcing herself to stay calm.

What do I do…?! She wondered, squeezing her eyes closed, forcing herself to take deep, slow breaths.

“Did you get lost?”

The voice came from nowhere, startling her as she spun around, facing someone, most likely from the village. Perhaps he could help her.

“Did you get separated from your friends?” He asked, his voice calm, luring her in.

“Y-yes, I did… Do you live here?”

“… Yes.” The man extended his hand towards her. “Take my hand. I’ll bring you to where your friends are.” Without warning he grabbed her arm instead, gently leading her off towards the exit, away from the secret room.

“Thank you…!” She cheered, almost startled at the sudden urge to move. “You saved me. I was having trouble in the dark.”

“The village chief should have told you this place was a maze,” The man muttered, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, but there’s someone I want to find no matter what.”

“… Is it Seiryuu?”

“Yes.”

“A person like that isn’t here,” the man grumbled, leading her down the path. Yona frowned as she followed him.

“… Whose room was inside that pathway,” she asked, frowning.

“… There is nobody…” The man spoke, his voice low. “Nobody is there, nobody is there, nobody is there.”

They continued to walk, the silence heavy.

After a moment she realized the surroundings, alarm going off in her head.

“Say, this… isn’t the direction where Zeno and the others are. Why are we going further underground?”

Silence fell as the man turned to look at her, his eyes cold and unforgiving for a crime Yona had yet to commit. She tried pulling her arm away in a cold panic, the stranger tightening his grip on her.

“Let me go!” She screamed, struggling free. “Let me go! Don’t take me any further!”

 _What had Zeno said,_ she tried to think, _for when someone refused to let go…?_

The dragon’s words seemed to suddenly echo in her head, a memory of them outside in the words, his hand gripping her arm tightly.

“The miss isn’t very strong yet,” he had told her, smiling as she struggled against his grip. “When someone is holding her like this, Zeno suggests you pull them close, and trip them with your foot in a quick kick. It’ll make them lose their balance, and hopefully loosen their grip so the miss can escape.”

She clenched her jaw tightly, attempting to pull her arm towards her, quickly kicking at the man’s legs, just as she recalled Zeno instructing her to. True to the dragon’s words, the man fell forward with a confused shout, loosening his grip enough for her to break free, quickly turning on her heel to run the opposite direction, praying he hadn’t taken her too far away.

And yet, after not even a moment she could hear the man shouting at her, could hear his shoes scrape against the stone ground as he got up, taking after her quickly, grabbing her upper arm, a much tighter grip this time.

“No!” She screamed, almost tripping. “Let me go! Zeno! Kija!”

He pulled her backwards, back further into the caves, the princess screaming the names of her companions.

In between her panicked screams there was a soft chime of a bell, another man, this time in a mask with a wig of incredible white hair, appearing from out of nowhere, carefully prying the first stranger’s hands from her arm. The man that had tried dragging her further into the earth jumped in shock, an expression of sheer panic crossing his face as he took off, further into the maze like cave.

She turned to look at the masked man, watching in surprise as he carefully took her hand, leading her back the way he must have come from, the gentle plink of the bells that were attached to his mask bouncing off the cave walls.

“Are… you a resident…?” She asked, feeling herself relax as they walked. _How is it that I’m not scared of this man…?_ “Are you…?”

“Princess!”

Kija’s voice startled her, the girl spinning around as her friends were running towards her, Zeno leading the group as he raced forward, grabbing her into a tight hug.

“You idiot!” Yoon nearly screamed, approaching with anger radiating from him. “Stick close to us!”

“Don’t scare us like that, Miss!” Zeno practically bawled, hugging her tighter. “Zeno was so worried! He promised to keep the miss safe and then the miss just vanished! Vanished!”

“I’m sorry,” Yona muttered, gently patting Zeno’s head as she attempted to turn around to introduce the kind masked stranger to them. “This person helped me…”

For a moment dead silence hung in the air, Kija looking at the man wearing the mask with an expression of sheer shock. For a moment his mouth was open, almost as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Yona thought it was rather funny.

“You are…” The white dragon muttered, his eyes wide, not even a moment after the words had escaped his mouth that the other had turned and ran. “W-Wait!”

“What’s wrong?” Yoon asked, looking at Kija with a frown. Zeno let go of Yona, the yellow dragon watching as the other ran down the halls, soon vanishing.

“It’s him!” Kija exclaimed.

“That,” Zeno had added, a grin forming on his face, “was Seiryuu.”


	12. Ringing Bells

The sound of bells filled the air. Seiryuu raised his hand to brush it against his cheek, just below the bottom of the mask. There was a dull ache in his eyes which was bothering the blue dragon slightly, a pressure against them that didn’t feel unmanageable but was annoying in the dimly lit cave system.

They had been throbbing violently all day.

Granted, the village had been rowdy. It was very rare they actually had visitors come to Seiryuu Village, the tenants instead preferring to go down to meet various traders that had approached on their paths.

Visitors was actually quite unheard of.

He had kept an eye on them, feeling uneasy about two of them. He felt as if he had been waiting for this day his entire life, but he didn’t understand why.

“This is inexcusable, Seiryuu!” A voice had yelled, carried to him through the thin air of the cave.

How did they know his name?

A rumbling sound alerted him, Ao jumping off his shoulder and darting towards the sound of his door being opened. He slunk forward, alarmed, worried that whoever this was would come forward and kill him.

Perhaps dying wasn’t such a bad idea.

But not even a moment later and the person who opened the door was gone, Ao coming back to him, chirping softly as she climbed back up onto his shoulder, staring off into the distance.

“Ao…” He muttered, following a young girl with his eyes, watching as she was led further into the caves. “Ah… They’re taking her underground…”

For some reason his heart tugged him forward, demanding he go to her side. He obeyed, curious, wondering who this person could be.

“Let me go!”

Ah, he was indeed taking her underground. Was he going to lock her up? Why did his heart seem to tighten at that thought?

He took after them, determined to catch up, watching in surprise as she tripped the man and struggled to run off, towards him, perhaps in the direction he figured was of the people she had arrived with.

The man, though, had caught her again, and had begun to drag her back down towards the deepest pits of the caves.

Don’t.

He ran forward, prying the man’s hands away from the young girl, watching as he ran away, yelling his usual cries of fear, the sound seeming to echo off the walls. He glanced at the girl, her eyes growing wide as she stared at him, in shock.

_Warriors of the Four Dragons!_

The voice thundered in his ears, blood seeming to boil instantly at the mere glance of the strange girl.

He wanted to scream.

His eyes began to throb, even more so than they had this morning, the voice continuing to echo in his ears. He stumbled forward, leading the girl back along the caves, trying to keep himself steady.

There were dragons waiting for them.

A white and yellow one, to be exact.

Waiting for the girl. Yona, was her name?

Why did he think they were dragons?

He had to calm himself down.

He had to run away.

 

* * *

 

“They were trying to take you away underground?!”

Zeno watched as Yona nodded her head slowly, her shoulders drooping at Yoon’s voice.

“How dare they!” Kija nearly yelled, the rage coursing through his body making his arm grow, almost as if he was preparing to attack the next villager they saw. “They have done nothing but disrespect the princess! Then they go and try to lock her away underground! So it seems they want to feel my wrath, huh?!”

“Zeno thinks Hakuryuu should calm down,” Zeno grumbled, forcing himself to remain calm. If he was being honest, he was just as enraged as the white dragon, only much better at hiding it. “Hakuryuu should not just go and cut up whoever he wants to.”

“Just take a deep breath!” Yoon scolded, smacking Kija upside the head. “Focus on the other matter here. Seiryuu appeared, but he left.”

“No,” Zeno interrupted, shaking his head. “He ran away.”

After a few deep breaths (plus the physical pain caused from Yoon’s smack) Kija seemed to settle, shaking his head. “Both Seiryuu and the villagers… What is going on here…?”

“You’re right,” Yoon agreed, sighing as he led the group back through the cave system, back to where they had been dropped off earlier that day. “Even though it’s a dragon village, and we know that for certain, it’s the exact opposite of Hakuryuu Village.”

“…What?”

“The lad’s right,” Zeno hummed, latching onto Yona’s arm, the girl looking at him confused. “We were assuming the village to be the same as Hakuryuu’s, Zeno guesses, right? But it’s not.”

“Zeno what are you doing?”

“Zeno is never letting the miss out of his sight again!”

“You two quit your lovers squabbling,” Yoon sighed, shaking his head, ignoring any protest of the two. “But Zeno is right.”

“What are you two talking about?”

“Maybe Hakuryuu village was just special…” The boy stated, turning his attention to Kija. “Here, they don’t hold a belief in red hair. And the power of the dragon doesn’t seem divine, as it did in your village, either. As far as Seiryuu may be concerned…”

“Seiryuu may believe we are intruders,” Yona spoke, her voice quiet.

“That cannot be!” Kija interjected, clenching his hands into fists. “The Four Dragons should quickly hasten right away to join their master’s side! When I met the princess I left my village in just half a day!”

“That’s because you were too quick to join,” Yoon grumbled, shaking his head. “And before you say anything, that wasn’t a form of praise.”

“But… Seiryuu helped me,” Yona stated, a smile forming on her face. “His hand was so warm and gentle… I want to meet him and talk to him.”

“Is Zeno’s hand not warm and gentle?!”

“No, it is! That’s not the point!"

Kija and Yoon fell silent as the other two bickered playfully, the two looking at each other with a frown.

“So, what you’re saying, Princess,” Yoon began, turning to look at her. “Is that you’re going back into that maze?”

“Yes. There were frightening eyes, but I won’t falter.”

They fell silent again.

“You’ve certainly got guts, Princess,” Yoon sighed, shaking his head before a smile appeared, stretching his arms with a grin. “Let’s go, then. There’s something at that dead end, isn’t there?”

“Ah, yes! But…”

She paused, her gaze focusing on Zeno. The dragon blinked in confusion, looking at her before she turned her gaze towards Kija. What was she thinking?

“Kija, you stay here.”

“What?!” The white dragon demanded, his eyes growing wide.

“Zeno, Yoon, and I will go into the caves,” Yoon stated simply, looking at him. “Yoon knows the maze better than I do, and Zeno will help with sensing Seiryuu’s location.”

“But, Princess, I can-”

“You can keep us safe from here,” Yona stated, cutting the other off. “You can protect us from here. Your claws will be much more use out here. Zeno doesn’t look intimating enough, so the villagers might come for him next.”

Zeno watched her, frowning as he tried to understand her logic. Where had it come from?

“And I, of course, must go meet Seiryuu.”

“So… I am to stay and be a look out, then…?

“Yes.”

He knew it was hard for the white dragon to be left behind. He watched Kija take a deep breath, inhaling before exhaling, suddenly shifting his weight to kneel in front of the girl, his clawed hand over his heart.

“Then I will do my best to provide the utmost security for you, Princess,” Kija confirmed, keeping his head bowed. “On the name of Hakuryuu, I will keep a lookout and keep you safe from here.”

He got up, turning to Zeno with a stern look. “Zeno?”

“Yes, Hakuryuu?”

“Take care of the princess.”

“Zeno promises on the name of Ouryuu! Zeno has been protecting the miss since day one! She will not get hurt!”

Kija nodded, shifting his weight as he sat down against the wall, watching as the three took off quickly, back into the maze. He would keep an eye on them from there, Zeno realized, would be able to sense if something happened and would come running. Such was the way of Hakuryuu.

“Princess, you’re trembling.”

“I am not!”

“Zeno thinks the miss is scared!”

“I am not, Zeno!”

“Don’t worry, Zeno will protect the miss!”

Perhaps the back and forth was keeping the two younger ones from sensing the eyes following them. Zeno hoped so. Yona’s hands were shaking, the girl pressing forward through the cave just behind Yoon, a million thoughts going through her head. At least, Zeno was hoping.

He wondered how Yona would convince Seiryuu to join them. It would be interesting to watch.

“Oh! Is this the dead end where the secret passage is?” Yoon asked, stopping as they came to the familiar corner of wall. Yona nodded her head, smiling happily.

“Yes.”

“That Seiryuu guy absolutely has to be here!” Yoon stated, gently pressing his hands against the walls. “Okay, let’s hurry and drag him out!”

Zeno froze slightly as the lads hand pressed against something, a low groan filling the air as the rocks seemed to move out of place. He turned around, staring at the blank emptiness behind him, a frown settling on his face in annoyance.

“Ooh, it opened!” Yoon exclaimed.

“Zeno, let’s go!” Yona enthused, turning to face the dragon. He paused, turning to face her with a smile, shaking his head.

“No, Seiryuu is up ahead, Zeno will wait here. Seiryuu probably doesn’t like much company, so Zeno will be here, okay?” He stated, waving his hand in dismissal. “Go ahead, you two!”

He watched them dart forward, vanishing into the black path. He let out a sigh, turning his attention back to the way they came, villagers blocking the path.

“Well, the lad and miss are gone now,” he stated, crossing his arms behind his head out of boredom. “What business do the busy villagers have in a cramped space like this?”

“We can’t allow those who went ahead to come back.”

“Shush!” Zeno huffed, dropping his arms, glaring at the men. “Have you people really forgotten about King Hiryuu?” He asked, reaching into his jacket for his sword. “Truly forgotten about the Sacred Red Dragon? Zeno is shocked. Shocked! He will not let you go near her, on the name of Ouryuu.”

There was a hushed whisper among the men.

“That’s right, Zeno said Ouryuu, the yellow dragon with the sturdy body of legend,” he continued. “Ouryuu cannot die. The first Seiryuu would be so ashamed of her descendants, treating the current Seiryuu like this. It’s horrible. Seiryuu’s eyes should have never been feared.

“If you dare try to approach, I will fight you.”

 

* * *

 

“Hello.”

They had approached the dragon, watching as he stood crouched in front of them, a hand on the sword resting on his back. Yona stood firm, Yoon stepping back slightly in alarm.

She watched as he drew the sword, swinging it down to occupy the space in between them, a clear attempt at intimidation. By the sound of Yoon’s gasp, she was sure it worked on him.

Yona, however, was determined to stand firm.

“This is bad, Princess!” Yoon stated, grabbing her arm as he stepped back again. “The one squatting down with a mask inside this cellar was a dangerous guy after all! I’m calling Zeno!”

She ignored him, a soft scuttling causing her to look down, the same squirrel from before approaching her. “Oh!” She exclaimed, leaning down to once again pick the critter up. “So we meet again! It’s the tiny puffy cheeked squirrel!” She turned to face the man, a smile crossing her face. “What’s this little fella’s name?” She asked, the squirrel jumping up onto her shoulder, chomping down on her earring.

The man remained silent.

He was very silent.

“… Ao.” He finally spoke, once again startling Yoon.

“Oh, he actually answered…”

“It doesn’t suit him at all!”

“Meet him halfway, Princess!” Yoon yelled, giving her an incredulous look. “Talk it over with him! Also, wait that thing is eating your earring you realize.”

Yona ignored him, smiling softly at the dragon in front of her. “Thank you for helping me, earlier,” she began. “I’m Yona. What’s your name?”

The man was silent again, almost as if he was mulling over what he was about to say. For a brief moment he lowered his sword, the gaze his mask presented glancing at the ground.

“The Sei… Ryuu…” he spoke, his voice quiet.

“… Your name. That’s not your own name, is it?” Yona asked, tilting her head to the side.

“… Don’t have a name…” The man stated again, shaking his head. “Just… The Seiryuu.”

Yona stepped forward, slowly, raising her hand to extend it to him. Without warning he swung the sword back up, his voice raising in alarm.

“Stay away…!” He yelled, the sword pointing at her. “Who are you people…? Why have you come to this village?! Why are you approaching me?! Why are those dragons…?”

“I came here in order to meet you,” Yona stated, folding her hands in front of her. “Seiryuu, I want you to loan me your power. I want you to come with me.”

“My… Power…”

The dragon seemed to freeze, just for a moment, a growl rising in his throat as he lashed out, grabbing Yona’s cloak with what appeared to be sheer anger. She yelled in surprise, Yoon calling out to her.

“Enemies…” Seiryuu growled, his hand tightening around the swords hilt, and yet still trembling as he rose it. “Those who desire the power of Seiryuu are enemies!”

Yona remained firm, watching the sword carefully. The man had every intention of killing her, she realized, taking in a slow and steady breath. Every intention, and yet his hand was shaking.

His whole body seemed to tremble.

“You…”

She looked at him, looking straight at the black holes on his mask.

“What are you…?” he asked, slowly lowering the sword. “I… don’t know you… Why…”

“Seiryuu,” Yona stated, looking at him, keeping her voice calm. “I am not your enemy. I’m searching for the four dragons so my companions and I can continue living. I want to keep my friends safe. And I want to welcome you as a friend.” She extended her hand to him, watching as he released her cloak, the masked man lowering his gaze to the floor again.

“… I… Am… Cursed. So…”

“Cursed?”

“This power… Must never know of the outside. It’s a destructive power.”

“Who said that?” Yona huffed, looking at him confused.

“It’s the truth,” Seiryuu replied. “I won’t use the power of these eyes again.”

“… So… you’re saying you won’t come with us…? No matter what?”

“… Leave. Leave.”

Yona frowned, shaking her head slightly with a heavy sigh, turning towards the exit.

“Princess?”

“Seiryuu? May I say one thing?” She turned to face him again, a smile dancing across her face. “Your hand, it was very warm. I don’t know what kind of curse you may have, but if that was the hand of someone cursed… Then I don’t care at all that you have one as terrifying.”

With a resigned sigh she turned and left, leaving Yoon to glance at the masked dragon one last time before attempting to catch up to her.

“You don’t look very convinced at all to me,” he told her, sighing as the girl began to pout.

“That room had nothing,” she grumbled, crossing her arms as they walked back along the path. “I wonder if he is eating enough… And why does it feel like I’ve left a very special person inside a dark cage…? We just met, and yet…”

“Ah, it’s noisy, don’t you think?”

She glanced up, her eyes growing wide in surprise as the figures that surrounded Zeno. She raced forward in alarm, reaching the dragon as she looked out at the sea of masks in the small clearing.

“Zeno? What is going on?”

“Ah, Miss, stay back okay?” He stated, waving his arm in dismissal.

“They came out.”

“They came out…”

“Finish them.”

“Wh… What are these guys talking about,” Yoon asked.

“They,” Zeno began, raising his hand that held a sword, carefully knocking a masked man out with the hilt. “Were planning on disposing of the three of us to keep Seiryuu hidden. Silly plan, Zeno thinks. Zeno wonders if they’re fools.”

“What on earth is wrong with you people?!” Yona exclaimed, balling her hands into fists. “Why are you so… So…”

“Miss, stay back! Stay back!”

“Watch where you swing that sword, Yellow!”

There was a rumble, Yona was sure of it. The crowd looked up in shock, the ceiling above them trembling slightly.

“What?!”

“An earthquake?!”

Zeno grabbed Yona and Yoon, tugging them both close to him as the earth trembled.

Perhaps she blacked out for a bit.

 

* * *

 

This wasn’t good, Zeno realized as the earth had settled. Earthquakes happened all the time, didn’t they? And yet here one happens, with them now trapped underground.

It wasn’t good.

Yona was unconscious, Yoon was coughing, various masked men were beginning to panic.

What was he supposed to do?

“Miss?” He asked, gently shaking Yona’s shoulders, Yoon just realizing what was going on. “Miss, wake up!”

She roused, finally, causing Zeno to sigh in relief, relaxing just a little. She looked around in confusion, her eyes still a little fuzzy.

“We’ve been shut in,” Yoon muttered, Zeno looking at the boy with concern. He pressed himself against the cave wall, his chest rising and falling slowly, most likely with short, quick breaths. “With this amount of people in such a cramped space, we’re going to run out of air…”

For a moment Zeno wondered if he could die without air. Probably not.

He glanced at the caved in walls, focusing slightly. There was a lot of rubble in the way, the only way he could easily dig them out would be to force his scales, but that itself would cause such a ruckus, and would no doubt alarm the two children in his care. He sighed, carefully pushing people past and gripping his sword tightly, forcing it down upon the rocks.

The force shook him to his core.

“What are you doing?” Yona asked watching as the masked men looked at the dragon like he was crazy. Zeno probably was, he wasn’t going to deny any of it.

“Digging!” Zeno stated, continuing to smash his sword against the stones. “Zeno can’t use any special power like Hakuryuu, but Zeno won’t tire. So he’s going to dig.”

“I thought you said you healed fast,” Yoon grumbled.

“Zeno does heal fast! Ouryuu has a sturdy body!”

“Why do you people keep spouting those ridiculous names?!” A masked person demanded, glaring at the three.

“Zeno told you, he is Ouryuu, the yellow dragon of legend, just as Seiryuu is the blue dragon, and Hakuryuu is the white dragon,” Zeno stated, pointing the sword at the man. “The Four Dragons of Legend are real. The first Seiryuu would be crushed to see her grandchildren treating Seiryuu like this, just as she was treated.”

“Zeno watch where you swing that thing!”

“Oops! Sorry, Lad!”

“So there’s more cursed dragons…”

Zeno watched Yona frown, looking in confusion at the men. “Why? Why is Seiryuu’s power cursed? He isn’t evil…!”

“What does an outsider like you know?!” Another man yelled, turning to her. “A monster with the dragon eyes has always been born in this village…! We live in constant fear of the power of Seiryuu! Even if the Seiryuu dies, someone’s child becomes the Seiryuu, the cycle repeating over and over…! It might be my child next…! We live in fear until we die!”

“We must never,” another spoke, gently patting the panicking man’s shoulder. “Let that curse he holds roam freely on the outside. When the Seiryuu is born, we immediately put a mask on their face… They can’t go outside very often, either… That is law.”

“When the previous Seiryuu had died, we moved here out of fear… We were afraid men would come to attack…”

“I can’t stand it in these cellars!”

There was a soft chiming of a bell. Zeno looked up in surprise from where he had begun to dig, staring at the blue dragon in surprise. He stepped out from the caves entrance, a light frown settled on his face as he walked forward, various men screaming in panic.

What this Seiryuu had ever done to them, Zeno was unsure. The child he met had seemed so innocent all those years ago, had smiled so brightly at the ball he had given him as a present.

And yet these idiot villagers treated him as a creature to be feared.

Abi would be furious.

One of the men had begun to scream, back away as Seiryuu seemed to approach him, the man knocking the decorated mask away. Zeno watched as the mask fell to the ground with a gentle clatter, the bells attached clanging together like a soft melody.

“Ah! Hide your faces!”

If it wasn’t such a tricky moment, Zeno would laugh. Hide their faces, he inwardly scoffed, shaking his head. These people were ridiculous. Didn’t they know Seiryuu’s powers only activated when Seiryuu himself decided it?

“What? Why?” Yoon demanded, looking at the men in confusion.

“If… If you look into his eyes… You’ll turn to stone…!”

He couldn’t help it. Zeno laughed, nearly doubling over. “Oh, you villagers are such fools!”

“Don’t laugh…! He came to kill us!”

“Why would he kill anyone,” Yona asked, looking at the men in confusion. “Seiryuu rescued me…! He has no reason to kill people!”

Seiryuu looked away, instead picking up his mask.

Memories of Abi wearing a cloth around her eyes startled Zeno, the dragon freezing as he watched the blue dragon fix the mask around his face, fastening the strap. Recollections of the girl crying when they cried out her name, telling her how beautiful her eyes were.

Why did Seiryuu continue to hide their eyes…?

The blue dragon had picked up an axe as Zeno thought, walking towards him with a stoic expression. Zeno stared at him, remaining calm as the other lifted the axe in the air, bringing it down harshly against the stone beside him.

“Seiryuu startled Zeno,” he sighed, letting his shoulder drop in relief. “He thought Seiryuu was going to pick a fight. Zeno is not very strong, you see.”

“Why are you digging that way, though,” Yoon asked. “The entrance is over there, isn’t it?”

“This spot is connected to the outside.” Seiryuu’s voice was soft, the dragon turning to glance at Yoon. “It’s quicker to break this down…”

“Right!” Zeno cheered, turning on his heel quickly to assist him. “Zeno will help dig! Let’s dig together, Seiryuu!”

“Let me help too!” Yona stated, grabbing a man’s dagger from him, darting over.

“Everyone who values their lives must dig!” Yoon demanded.

“We will definitely get out of here!”


	13. Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what! This chapter had TWO FUCKING AWESOME BETA READERS!!! Thanks as always to Cynic, and special thanks to FallenWithStyle as well! You guys are superbly awesome, and thanks for catching the mistakes I made! I SO appreciate it!

“Princess!”

The cave-in had startled Kija, causing the dragon to jump. He stared at the entrance in shock, reaching out to touch the stones. Just in case, he reasoned, he was just delusional. Just in case this hadn’t truly happened.

“No, no no no,” he panicked, grabbing at various rocks, tossing them aside quickly. He would dig his way through to them, he decided, determination coursing through his body.

He would dig his way through to save his dragon brothers, and to save his master. He would not falter in this moment. Though to be completely honest, he was worried.

Kija wasn’t sure how well Zeno would be able to dig them out, if he could at least do that. He was rather sure the yellow dragon wasn’t very strong, aside from eating whatever dish Yoon cooked up (while the dishes were absolutely delicious, he was still unsure about eating the bugs, and yet Zeno ate them with zeal). Would Seiryuu be helping them, had they convinced him to join them?

The only thing he could do was dig them out.

For a moment he felt eyes on him, the dragon spinning around with a glare, spotting several people approaching. He eyed them, pausing in his digging.

“What do you need?” he asked, clenching his hands into fists. “Can’t you see I’m busy?” 

“My… son was buried…” a woman stated, her eyes filling with tears.

“My companions went in searching for our dragon brother,” Kija returned, turning his attention back to the rocks, focusing on digging again. “They went to speak with Seiryuu, and they were buried as well. I take it your family was in the same area, then?”

He was greeted with silence.

“Oh, come now!” He huffed, throwing a rock dangerously close to them, the people all letting out various levels of scared yells. “You are a dragon village! You should be proud of the gift of the gods you’ve been given to protect! You’re treating Seiryuu like this? This is ridiculous! Your silence would not do you any favours, especially now!”

“Yes!” The woman finally replied, shaking slightly. “My family is in there!”

That gave Kija more reason to have to dig. He forced the villagers out of his mind, once again grabbing at rocks and throwing them out of the way. He heard a man whisper, the dragon turning his attention to him quickly, extending the length of his arm in a threat.

“What was that I heard?” he asked, glaring coldly at them. “If there is something you know and you’re not telling me, I would suggest you share it with me. My friends’ lives are at risk, and so are your families.”

Silence once again.

“Hurry up! You can’t keep acting this foolish forever! I’m sorry, but I demand answers, now!”

 

* * *

 

The sounds of metal against stone filled the air, surrounding Yona with the harsh reality of the situation. She forced herself to continue bringing the dagger down on the crumbled rocks, grimacing with the tiny hole she had created.

This is no good, she thought, feeling herself grow dizzy. I don’t want to give up, but breathing is so hard… I need to get us out of here though…

Her head spun, and for a moment she forgot who she was, where she had been. She collapsed, feeling a pair of hands catch her before she hit her head on the stone floor. The soft, gentle ring of a bell told her it must have been Seiryuu.

“Ah…?”

“Seiryuu!” Zeno’s voice sounded far away as he spoke. “Take the miss to your room, okay? It’ll be easier for her to breath there!”

“But… I’m fine…”

Seiryuu lifted her up carefully at Zeno’s words, ignoring any protests she could make. Yona protested, her voice sounding weak against her ears. There would be no way anyone would believe her at this point, it would be foolish if they did.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she tried telling him, the dragon setting her down gently once they were inside the cave of a room, quickly pulling the fluff off his head and carefully placing it over her. “I’m not cold, I’m fine!”

He ignored her again, instead looking around for something. After a moment he scooped Ao up, gently setting the squirrel on top of the fluff. Yona couldn’t help but smile, the critter nuzzling up to her with a soft chatter of sounds.

Yona couldn’t stand it.

Seiryuu was such a kind person, and yet no one in this village seemed to understand that. He had come out of the prison of a room to help the villagers, had begun to help dig them free. And yet they looked at him in fear. He protected the village, and yet…

“It’s not fair,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes slightly. “It’s not fair for you to be all alone…!”

He replied in silence, a frown settling on his face as he looked at her, tilting his head to the side.

“We just met,” she continued, “and for me to want to become your strength… Is that arrogant of me?”

She would free him of this prison if it was the last thing she did.

“Okay,” she stated, shifting her weight to get up. “I can still help! I will do the best I can!”

“Ah, can you still…?”

“You know, Seiryuu… I didn’t go outside for fifteen years.”

She paused at her own words, lifting her hands and pressing them together as she spoke. “I spent countless days without a care in the world… I kept that small happiness in a small world. That had all been taken from me. The feeling of being hungry, of having my heart broken, going on breathing despite all of that… The desire to live, even… I won’t let them say that it’s useless for us to keep living.”

She paused in her words, turning to face Seiryuu again, spreading her arms wide. “That’s why we’ll bust out of the darkness. I’ll take you to a place where you can spread your limbs as much as you want! Without a doubt I’ll take you there!”

Her words rested in the air, the girl turning quickly to dart back out of the room, back to the cave with the others. She would dig her way out of this tomb.

“Yona has arrived!” She declared, watching as several heads turned to face her before returning back to digging.

“Miss! Did your rest a bit?”

“I don’t need any more rest, I need to help!”

“Ugh,” Yoon grumbled, sighing as she came near. “You’re noisy, Princess, it’s hard to breathe so-”

“Trade places with me, Yoon!”

They continued to dig, the air becoming thinner with each moment.

“Zeno is annoyed we’re still not outside yet!” the yellow dragon stated, sighing heavily. “Perhaps Zeno should-”

There was a rumble at his words, the wall they had been digging away at crumbling apart, revealing a hole. Kija was on the other side, with several villagers, each of them holding a pickaxe in their hands.

“Princess! Zeno! Yoon!”

Yona nearly screamed in delight at seeing the dragon. He climbed over the rocks quickly, pulling the three of them into a tight hug, a heavy sob stuck in his voice.

“I was so worried! Are you all unharmed?!”

“Yes, we’re fine!”

“Zeno’s glad Hakuryuu got to us!” Zeno enthused, a relieved smile spreading across his face.

“Of course you would be! You have no dragon powers!” Kija huffed, refusing to let go, hugging them even tighter. “I should have never let you all out of my sight! You’re too young to be gallivanting in caves where earthquakes can happen at any moment!”

“Kija, I can’t breathe!” Yoon gasped as he struggled to free himself. “Let up a little, will you?”

“Never!”

“Zeno is surprised you knew about that spot, though.”

“The villagers have family around this area,” Kija explained, watching as several people clambered over the rocks to hug various people in the cave. “The masks aren’t even a custom, either. It’s to hide Seiryuu’s existence, as well as their expressions.”

“Well, at least they’re not the kind of people who would just abandon their own families…” Yona sighed.

“Easy to scare, though.” Yoon commented.

She looked up, watching as several people seemed to run from Seiryuu, the dragon standing stoically in the center of the crowd. She huffed as she watched him, the man turning his head in their direction.

“Princess, is Seiryuu going to come with us?” Kija asked, turning to the girl with a frown settled on his face. “It’s his duty as a dragon warrior to serve his master, after all!”

“He looked over here!” Zeno enthused.

Yona sighed, shaking her head. “It’s tough to say... But I can’t give up on him!” She shook her head, lifting her hands and gently smacking her cheeks before marching over to Seiryuu, looking up at him.

“Seiryuu! I’ll say it one more time!” She stated, extending her hand to him. “Please! Let’s leave together! I want to take you along!”

“… I…”

“You won’t have to close your eyes in front of me,” Yona added. “Does your power really murder people aimlessly? Even though Ao has become this attached to you? Ao understands. You are not destructive.”

She kept her hand out, watching as the dragon looked at her for a moment, before slowly reaching out and taking her hand as well. Yona smiled brightly, pulling him close and hugging him tightly before letting go, turning to face the group of villagers still surrounding them.

“Thanks for looking after us!” She exclaimed, leading her group out of the hole in the wall, out to the freedom it promised them.

Out of the corner of her eyes she spotted Seiryuu turn to face the villagers again, bowing slightly to them out of respect before turning to follow Zeno out of the hole, the dragon cheering loudly that “Seiryuu is coming with us!”

Yona couldn’t be happier seeing the three dragons together.

 

* * *

 

“Zeno, Kija, do you recall where Ryokuryuu is?”

Zeno paused, the rice ball he was eating halfway to his mouth. He glanced over at Kija, the dragon frowning deeply in thought.

“That’s… Right, Ryokuryuu is the next… The last…”

He collapsed on the ground.

“Kija?!”

“Hakuryuu is okay,” Zeno spoke gently, carefully helping the other up. “Hakuryuu was digging us out from the other side. He must be fatigued.”

“Well then that’s a relief,” Yoon grumbled, shaking his head.

“I… I apologize,” Kija muttered, sighing heavily. “My body feels heavy… You’ll have to rely on Zeno and Seiryuu for now…”

“Just don’t push yourself!” Yona huffed, gently whacking the dragon’s forehead. “You’re too important!”

“Ah, right! Seiryuu!” Zeno turned to face the newest addition, smiling brightly at the dragon. “Seiryuu, can you tell where Ryokuryuu is?”

He tilted his head to the side, the soft clang of the bells attached to his mask filling the air.

“Ah, Zeno thought so. No one in the village must have told Seiryuu about the dragons,” Zeno mused, crossing his arms. “That’s okay, Zeno still knows which way to go!”

“Oh, how wretched it must be,” Kija grumbled. “How could no one teach you about the dragons and their noble duty?”

“Probably because everyone was afraid of him,” Yoon grumbled, shaking his head as he dug around in his bag. “Remember? We just left there not too long ago?”

“Well, then it shall become both my duty, as well as Zeno’s, to inform Seiryuu about the dragon warriors!” Kija stated, forcing himself to get up and grab Seiryuu’s hand, holding it tightly. “From now on, you may call us your big brothers!”

“Zeno’s younger than Seiryuu though.”

The blue dragon remained silent, staring at Kija before turning quickly and darting away.

“Eh?! He ran away!?”

“Big brother was making him uncomfortable,” Yoon stated, sighing as he returned his bag to his back. “Good job, Kija.”

“Shut up!”

Zeno rolled his eyes, gesturing his hand and leading them after Seiryuu, humming softly to himself. They found him standing at the base of a waterfall, simply standing there, almost debating something.

“Seiryuu!”

“A river?” Yoon asked, stepping forward slowly. “Even in the land of fire where water is scarce…? Did the melting snow from the summit become a waterfall?”

“Seiryuu?” Kija asked, watching as the man began pulling of various items, setting them down beside him.

For a moment Zeno wondered what the blue dragon was going to do, until he fell forward into the pool, water splashing out with a flourish. He froze slightly, rushing forward to watch him underwater.

Had anyone taught him to swim?

“Good job, Kija, you forced him to kill himself.”

“How was this my fault?! Was it my fault?!”

Zeno ignored them, watching as Seiryuu swam back up, gasping for air. “Ah, Seiryuu! You can swim? That’s amazing!”

He offered his hand to help him out, the dragon keeping his eyes closed until he could grab his mask, tying it around his face with the soft tinkle of bells. He shook himself off, getting Zeno wet with the back splatter of water, before marching forward and handing Kija a fish he had caught.

“Eat this and get better,” were the only words that came from his mouth.

“Don’t just run off in silence!” Kija stated, heaving a sigh of relief as he took the fish. “Though, if this is your way of being thankful, I will accept. But please don’t make us worried again…”

Seiryuu nodded, taking a moment before crouching down, shivering slightly.

“Seiryuu is cold!” He exclaimed, lurching forward to hug the dragon. “Let Zeno warm you up!”

“Leave him be, Yellow!” Yoon huffed, stepping forward and pulling Zeno away.

Zeno huffed, crossing his arms as he glared at Yoon. “Seiryuu was cold, so Zeno was warming him up!”

“Yeah, but then you both would be soaking wet and we don’t have enough spare clothing to dress both of you.”

Zeno stuck his tongue out at him.

“Anyway, we should get a fire started, then!” Yona stated, stepping in between the two. “That way Seiryuu can warm up, and we can cook the fish he caught!”

“Ah, yeah, okay. Zeno, can you go fetch some wood, then?”

“Zeno will fetch wood!”


	14. A Name Given

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cynic is an awesome beta reader.

“So, your eyes…”

The fire they had just started crackled, Zeno watching as Yoon studied the mask that Seiryuu wore, his eyes narrowing in thought. The yellow dragon frowned a bit, wary of what topic the boy could bring up.

“You knew quite well about this river, right? Your eyes have the ability of far sight, don’t they?” The boy asked, leaning in closer, the dragon leaning back out of reflex. “You caught that fish pretty fast, too. You excel in depth perception? Is it true that we’ll turn to stone if we look at your eyes?”

“Lad, give Seiryuu some space.”

Seiryuu shook his head, a frown on his face. He opened his mouth as if to say something, thinking better before closing it again and looking down.

“So then why are you still wearing your mask?”

Zeno frowned, waving his hand slightly. “Lad, some things are ingrained in a person’s brain. Some people have deeper reasons for doing things.”

“Oh, I see…”

He shooed the boy off, turning to face Seiryuu with a smile. “Don’t mind the lad, Seiryuu! He just gets very excited with new things.”

“Ah…”

Seiryuu was still shivering, still wearing the wet clothes. Zeno crossed his arms with a scowl, shaking his head. “No, no, this is not good. Zeno cannot allow Seiryuu to be wearing wet clothes. You must change so the lad can dry them!”

“I don’t have other clothes…”

Zeno shook his head, tapping his chin. “Hmm, Zeno will think of something, just change and hang them close to the fire, okay, Seiryuu?”

He paused, turning around to find Yona. “Miss! Come with Zeno for a second, Zeno is going to help the miss train okay?”

Yona looked up from the spot she had been sitting, nodding firmly as she got up. “Did I tell you your advice for breaking free of people’s grips helped…?”

“Ah? No, the miss didn’t tell Zeno that! Was that when the miss was taken by the villager?”

She nodded, the two of them heading through the trees to a clearing, each pulling out their sword. Zeno smiled brightly at her.

“Zeno is proud! The miss is getting stronger every day!” He enthused, watching as she quickly darted forward and struck at him, the dragon just narrowly dodging the sword. “Not strong enough to rival Hakuryuu’s arm, but stronger! Stronger!”

“I have a good teacher!” She returned, quickly ducking as Zeno swung back, raising her sword to begin a parley. “In the castle, Father… He… He wouldn’t let me touch weapons at all… Weapons were banned a lot of the time…”

“Miss, you don’t need to speak if you don’t want to,” Zeno stated, stepping back quickly in avoidance of a particularly wild swing. “Zeno doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable. If you’re not ready to speak, it’s okay.”

“No, I have to! I have to overcome any obstacle in my way!”

“Zeno doesn’t think loss is an obstacle,” He muttered, quickly knocking the sword from Yona’s hands, pointing it at her until she raised her hands in defeat. “If anything, the loss of family makes oneself stronger.”

“… Have you lost family?” She asked, the dragon lowering the sword so she could retrieve hers, returning it to its hilt.

“Yes, I have,” Zeno replied without thinking, a frown settling on his face. “I’ve lost my brothers, my mother, and a lot of friends I’ve considered family.”

“… I’m so sorry, Zeno…”

“Don’t sweat it!” He shook his head, smiling brightly at the girl. “It was a long time ago! Just after Zeno became Ouryuu!”

“Ah, that’s right… What was your predecessor like, Zeno?”

Zeno froze. Never had he imagined being asked this. He frowned, tilting his head to the side in thought.

“Zeno’s predecessor…” He mused. “Ah, to be honest, Zeno doesn’t really remember. It’s been a long time, you see.”

Yona frowned a bit as she studied his face, nodding slowly. “He was family, didn’t you mention something like that, before?”

Had he?

“Er, yes, but see, Zeno doesn’t remember,” he stated, waving his hand a bit, dismissing the topic. “Anyway, the Miss is getting off track! You’ve practiced your aim, haven’t you?”

Zeno watched Yona nod, the girl pausing before sighing.

“I need to go fetch my bow and my quiver from the camp site,” she muttered, rubbing her neck. “Can we practice this tomorrow?”

“Ah, of course! The miss had a full day already, she should relax now.” Zeno agreed, nodding his head quickly. “Sorry, sorry, Zeno forgot.”

“Are you sure a rock didn’t hit your head during the earthquake?”

“Zeno is sure, Zeno is sure!” He laughed, taking her hand and leading her back, grinning brightly. “The miss is funny today, aren’t you, Miss?”

“I am not!”

Zeno laughed, nodding eagerly. “Zeno thinks she is!”

“There you two are, the foods almost done!” Yoon stated when they approached, waving a stirring spoon in the air. “You missed several bugs drowning!”

“You said there were no bugs!” Kija nearly yelled, turning to look at Yoon with clear panic in his eyes. “You told me-”

“Well I lied.”

“What did the lad make?” Zeno asked, letting go of Yona’s hand as he stepped forward to inspect the pan, frowning. “Also, where did you get this pan, Lad?”

“I got it in Seiryuu’s village, just before we left. I traded for some various herbs and spices they had.” Yoon explained, huffing slightly. “Seiryuu had the pan. I didn’t steal it, he brought it along with us.”

“Ah. But what did the lad make?”

“Miso hotpot!”

The dragon laughed as he sat down near the pan, stretching his arms. He glanced up, noticing the clothes hanging, swaying slightly with a light breeze. “So, Zeno takes it Seiryuu’s clothes aren’t dry, then?”

“Yeah,” Yoon sighed, shaking his head. “We just put them up, I wrung out as much water as I could. Even still…”

Zeno followed Yoon’s gaze, spotting the fluff monster to the other side, the dragon holding a bowl in his hands, completely covered by the wig he wore around his head.

“… Eh?” Zeno asked, staring at him in confusion. “Seiryuu is an adorable puff demon!”

“Our group is way too diverse,” Yoon grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

“Do no say anything against Seiryuu! This is my fault Seiryuu has resorted to this! He must feel so embarrassed!”

“Doesn’t look that way.”

“Ah, Ao’s eating all of Seiryuu’s food!” Yona panicked, waving her hand. “Ao, Ao no don’t eat Seiryuu’s food!”

“Is that squirrel a meat eater…?”

Seiryuu ignored them, dipping his spoon into the bowl, taking a hesitant bite of the food. There was a moment’s pause, the group watching as Seiryuu took another quick bite, eagerly eating the soup.

“Delicious, right?” Yona stated, smiling brightly as Seiryuu nodded quickly, continuing to eat as much as he could. “That’s wonderful, isn’t it, Yoon?”

“Yeah, yeah, he better slow down before he chokes though…”

“Oh! Are you cold, Seiryuu? Do you need my cloak?”

The blue dragon shook his head slowly, Ao resting on the fluff with a full stomach. “No… Th… Thank you, Yona…”

“What?!”

“H… He addressed the princess so formally…!” Kija panicked, pressing his hands against his cheeks. “Even though he’s one of the four dragons, he still…!”

“Seiryuu knows the miss’s name? That’s good!” Zeno cheered, clapping his hands together.

“It’s been a while since anyone even called me by name,” Yona mumbled, frowning slightly. “It’s so refreshing… Oh!”

Zeno watched as she leaned over, smiling brightly at the blue dragon. “I want to call you by name, as well. You don’t have a name, right? Is there a name you would like to be called?”

Seiryuu frowned a bit, almost as if he was lost in thought. Zeno was sure of it, until the dragon rolled over and fell onto his face, curling up into a ball.

“Oh, he turned into a ball,” Yona muttered, frowning.

“Zeno thinks that means Seiryuu wants to be called a demon hairball!” He added, the girl smacking him upside the head. “Zeno doesn’t make the rules up! It was a naming ritual!”

“Shush!”

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Yoon.”

“Hm?”

Yona leaned against the tree with a frown, carefully grinding up the herbs Yoon had passed to her a few moments ago. “Seiryuu won’t say what he’d like to be called. What do we call him?”

She focused on the motion of crushing the herbs, her mind lost in a whirl of thoughts. What do you call someone who had never been given a name until now?

“Hm…” Yoon muttered, leaning over to take a glance at the bowl Yona held in her hands, a frown settling on his face. He took the bowl from her, pouring the contents into a fabric bag. “If I were to describe Seiryuu with one word, it would be ‘Silent’.”

“Silent…”

“But don’t you think he’ll accept whatever you think suits him?” Yoon asked, tying the bag with a slight huff, setting it aside. “The one who took him out of those cage-like cellars was you. Zeno’s probably right about him refusing to take his mask off, but he is opening up to you…”

Yona nodded with a sigh, watching as Yoon got up to stretch. He grabbed a blanket, a heavy silence filling the air around them.

“By the way.”

He turned to look at her, a deep scowl on his face, confusion clear in his eyes. “Princess, are you really a princess?!” He sat back down beside her, covering his legs before he turned to look at her again. “You didn’t falter, even when Seiryuu had his sword pointed at you. Even when the earthquake trapped us all in, you didn’t get discouraged….”

“But I was scared,” Yona smiled, shaking her head. “Seiryuu isn’t scary, though. I don’t know why you were scared of him.”

“Don’t lie to me about being scared!”

“It’s true! I just remember trembling in fear!”

“All I can remember is when I was suffocating!”

They paused, a light smile settling on Yona’s face. “Take a deep breath.”

“Okay,” Yoon agreed, nodding his head. He fell silent for a moment, turning to look away, wrapping his arms around his blanket-covered knees. “… I thought those of the royal family were sly and filthy people… But… I take that back. When we first met, I said some pretty harsh things… And I’m sorry…”

“Could it be you’ve always been worried about that?” Yona asked, shifting her weight to get up. She was met with silence. “Yoon, you’re adorable!”

“What?!”

“I’m going to go drink some water, okay?”

Yoon fell silent, the girl turning away with a bright smile on her face.

“A-and also… Can I call you by your name, too?”

She paused, turning to look at Yoon with wide eyes.

“By ‘Yona’? ‘Princess’ is too long, and it’s a pain to say…”

Yona smiled, nodding her head as she covered her mouth, stifling a giggle before it escaped and he heard. “You’re adorable, Yoon!”

“Why?!”

She took off quickly, laughing as he yelled after her, the girl making her way towards the pond they had come across earlier. A smile plastered itself on her face as she knelt down, cupping her hands together to bring some of the water up, drinking it eagerly. After a moment of silence she smiled, shaking her head.

“Zeno, you’re following me again?”

“Zeno said he was never letting the miss out of his sight!” The dragon stated, approaching from behind the tree. “Zeno stays true to his words, you know.”

“But I’m fine!”

“Zeno knows, he was just making sure,” he replied, nodding his head. “Hakuryuu was following Miss earlier, too, but Zeno told him to get some rest.”

“You two are silly!” Yona laughed, smiling. “All three of you dragons are so cute and charming in your own way!”

“Zeno agrees! We’re all very cute!”

They walked back towards camp in silence, Yona’s thoughts swirling in her head. “Hey, Zeno… What word do you think matches Seiryuu well?”

“Eh, Zeno is not very good at names,” the dragon replied, shaking his head quickly, the medallion hanging around his bandana swaying with the motion. “Zeno would think of something silly, like mask.”

“You’re serious.”

“Zeno just said he is not good with names!”

“Hmm…” Yona sighed, tapping her chin in thought. “As for me… I just don’t know… Even in the darkness, he has such a tranquil warmth… But blue, calmer than the sun, that’s…”

They crossed an opening in the trees, Seiryuu pausing momentarily with the task he had set upon himself, herbs spilling from his hands. He straightened at their approach, watching them curiously.

He stood out against the night sky, Yona realized, just as the stars and the moon.

“The moon…” Yona mumbled, freezing as the dragon turned to pick up another herb, carefully adding it to his pile. The moon, more gentle than the light of the sun, but unable to lose its warmth in the darkness. “ShinAh.”

She could tell Zeno paused beside her, looking at her as she walked over to the blue dragon, a smile on her face.

“It means ‘moonlight’. Your name is ShinAh,” she stated, watching as Seiryuu froze and looked at her. “You took my hand and led me through the darkness, Seiryuu, you are my ShinAh. What do you think?”

He remained silent, almost mulling over the word in his head, the dragon nodding slowly with a small smile etching onto his face. Yona smiled back, glad as he took off again.

“Did Seiryuu like his name?”

“I think so.”

 

* * *

 

“Ao.”

The gentle sounds of the bells filled the air as ShinAh set the herbs he had been carrying down near Yoon, the blue dragon taking a deep breath. He turned away, finding the spot Ao had settled, gently reaching down and petting her. “She said… My name is ShinAh.”

He felt a smile form on his face, the dragon kneeling down to lay beside the squirrel. Yona had given him his very first name.

“I will cherish it.”


	15. He Won't be Remembered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Cynic for last kinute Beta Reading. This fhapters been done a week I just never... Had time to..... Post.....

“So, you guys are sure about this direction, right?”

Zeno nodded as Yoon stared at the map, once again leaning over and pointing to a place along the Earth Tribes water port. “Yes, Zeno says it’s here.”

“I have to agree with Zeno,” Kija confirmed, nodding quickly. “Ryokuryuu is definitely in that direction.”

“Great, we’ll end up hitting capital Saika and Hiryuu Castle if we just go straight for it…” Yoon sighed, shaking his head. “We’re going to have to take a detour.”

“ShinAh!”

Zeno looked up at the dragon in question, the man perched on a tree with his mask up, staring out at the distance. Of course, the dragon looked down as soon as Yona spoke, returning the mask to his face as he jumped down.

“Was there anybody in that direction,” Yona asked, watching as the blue dragon shook his head. “Nobody?”

“Great, then let’s go!”

They took off, the group chattering quietly as they walked.

“The ability to see far away is great!” Yoon enthused, carefully marking things down along the map, a smile on his face. “It’s nice to search for places where people aren’t around!”

“That is a very useful power, Se… Oh!”

Zeno turned to face Kija, the white dragon looking excitedly at ShinAh.

“I heard the princess granted you a name,” he began, smiling brightly. “ShinAh. It is a great name, so take care of it, okay?”

ShinAh nodded in reply, returning his attention to the road. Zeno couldn’t help but notice how silent he was, a twinge of guilt sinking into his gut. All those years of being treated like a monster had done this to him, and he could have easily prevented it from happening.

He turned his attention to Yona, pointing out various birds as they walked, asking her to pull out her bow and take aim.

“Miss, you might as well practice shooting as we walk,” he stated, watching the girl sigh heavily. “Plus maybe you can shoot one down for supper! Meat for supper!”

“I’m with Zeno on that one,” Yoon added, carefully folding the map up. “Especially at the rate Zeno eats food…”

“Zeno is a growing boy, that’s what an old friend used to say!”

“You would eat everyone’s portions if you could!”

“Zeno said he was sorry! Sorry!”

Yona laughed, shifting her weight and pulling her bow free of her shoulder, pulling an arrow free of the quiver on her back.

“I still cannot believe you let the princess shoot arrows like this,” Kija grumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance as a bird was shot down, the girl darting forward to retrieve it.

“Zeno believes it’s good for her to be able to defend herself,” Zeno replied simply, shaking his head. “Hakuryuu needs to understand, everyone must learn to fight. Just because Miss is Hiryuu, it doesn’t mean that she cannot learn to protect herself.”

“But it’s our duty as dragon warriors to protect her!”

“Zeno knows stories of how King Hiryuu would march into battle himself,” Zeno countered, shaking his head. “And if the miss is going to grow up to defend her country, learning to wield a bow and arrow will be essential to her development. Hakuryuu doesn’t have to like it, you know.”

“But it’s not necessary!”

Zeno sighed heavily, pausing in his movements to turn to Kija, a frown settled on his face. “Hakuryuu,” he began, watching as the other nearly froze at the sudden seriousness. “The miss asked to be taught to fight. There will be times when we, the dragon warriors, will not be around to protect her, such as in Seiryuu Village’s caves. Zeno is giving her the necessary tools so that she can protect herself in the off chance we are not around.”

“But… I…”

“Zeno knows you’re worried and want to fulfill your job as a dragon warrior. It’s natural. The miss is still going to need your protection. But she needs to learn to fight.”

“I… I see…”

“Everyone!” They turned in time for Yona to rush back, carrying the bird she had shot down. “Look! It’s huge!”

“It would probably only feed Zeno, at most,” Yoon grumbled, shooting a practiced glare in Zeno’s direction. “I would maybe shoot down another, then the rest of us can perhaps eat.”

“Zeno is hurt at your comment!”

“How are you hurt?! It’s the damn truth!”

They bickered as they walked, Zeno pointing out various other birds for Yona to shoot down, or various trees to aim at for practice. It was a very slow walk to their destination, more times than not had they stopped in a village to obtain supplies.

The one village, though…

“This place…” Yona muttered, glancing around at the slowly rotting buildings, the people that lay scattered in the streets. Zeno pulled her close out of reflex, Kija covering his mouth in an attempt to block out the smell of death filling the air.

“It’s a village that was abandoned by the general and the king,” Yoon explained, glancing around with a saddened look. “This area hasn’t cultivated crops in years, and there’s no water…”

“It’s likely because all the able-bodies men were all brought to the capital to be trained as soldiers,” Zeno added, feeling Yona stiffen in shock. He gently rubbed her arm, glancing at the others with a frown.

“Illness runs rampant and only those without the strength to migrate are left to die here.”

“… Terrible…”

“The village I was born in,” Yoon muttered, shaking his head, “was like this, too. The land of Fire is vast, but almost all of it is barren… Even with that, the head of the Fire Tribe general, Kan Soo-Jin, keeps all the money just for the government.”

“Idiot!” Kija scoffed, shaking his fist at the air. “The Village of Hakuryuu received this information too. I simply cannot believe one would be as selfish as this…!”

“People with power tend to let it go to their heads,” Zeno reasoned, sighing heavily. “Zeno has been told it’s always been this way.”

There was a heavy cough, the group turning in time to see an older man collapse on the ground, doubled over himself. Yona made an attempt to rush over, her eyes wide with panic.

“Is he alright?”

“You shouldn’t get too close,” Yoon warned, just in time for Zeno to tighten his grip on her. “You could get sick.”

“But…”

Yoon rummaged in his bag, pulling out a pouch as he stepped forward, kneeling beside the older man. “Here,” he began, holding the pouch out to him. “It may not ease your pain, but here’s some medicine, and some water.” He pulled a container they kept full of water out of his bag as well, gently setting it down beside him. “I also have an apple.”

“Oh…” The man’s voice was harsh, raspy against Zeno’s ears. He loosened his grip on Yona’s arm, the girl rushing forward to grab the water container, helping the man sit up enough to be able to drink it easily. “A… Are you people from Saika…?”

“No, we’re travelers,” Yoon replied, shaking his head slightly.

“I see…” The man sighed heavily, a weak smile forming on his face. “Then have you been to Kuuto…? The new king that has risen… I wonder what kind of person he is…? The last king… Il was a horrible king. When pressures from other countries mounted… he only cared about not making a ruckus. And while the other tribes grew… He didn’t give aid to the citizens who were weak… Whose king was he…?”

The man coughed again, leaning forward as Yona’s arms fell to her sides, the girl staring at him in shock.

“It’ll be nice if this king is a good person… If he is someone who can… Bring changes to this country…” He heaved a sigh, turning to Yona in surprise. “Oh, thank you, miss… I don’t know how long it’s been since someone’s touched me…”

“No… Please get well…”

Yona got up, as with Yoon, the girl turning quickly back to the group before leading them off, her face blank. Zeno watched her with worry, thinking back on what the man had said.

“I-I’ll be gone for just a minute!” Yona suddenly stated, turning to the group with a smile. “Don’t follow me, okay?”

She took off quickly, darting behind a building.

“… I couldn’t bring myself to say anything…” Yoon finally muttered, a sigh escaping him as he rubbed his neck. “Because I don’t think anything good about King Il either… But…”

“To the princess, he was the only family she had left,” Kija added, crossing his arms as he sighed, shaking his head slightly.

“Zeno has to remind you,” the dragon spoke up, the group turning to him in surprise. “King Il dreamt of a world where there were no weapons, no conflict, and nobody would get hurt. Zeno can’t help but think this wasn’t a cowardly wish, but he does think that the king was not fully aware of what was all going on in his country.” He shook his head. “He didn’t realize he was putting the country he was going to leave to the miss in disarray and chaos.”

“… Since when did you become so wise?!”

“Eh? Zeno is always wise!” He frowned slightly, shaking his head. “But right now, we have to be there for the miss. King Il was all that she had left, and now these people are stripping any pride away from her, without realizing it.”

 

* * *

 

For days on end, they walked. While they weren’t walking, they were resting. It became a steady pattern, ShinAh keeping a look out for any potential threats while the others rested, taking shifts with Kija so he could rest, as well.

Yona continued to practice. She would stay up late at night firing arrows, one after the other, listening to the dull thud of them hitting the tree she was aiming for. She would stay up even later studying the herbs Yoon had given her, trying to memorize what they were useful for, what they could be used for. As they rested she would mend the clothes that had become torn, securing each stitch with confidence, a grin forming on her face as it soon looked like there was never a rip in the first place. As they walked she would make Zeno spar with her, the dragon yelling words of encouragement as the others watched on, cheering her to improve.

Her hands still trembled when she held her sword. They shook when she pulled an arrow back along the string, memories of her father forbidding her to touch weapons sharp in her ears.

She ignored them every time.

Eventually, they approached Awa, a port city along the coast of the Earth Tribe.

“Whoa!” Yona exclaimed, shielding her eyes from the harsh sunlight. They stood over the edge of a cliff, the city below them. “It’s a port city! Zeno! Look! Is that the sea?” She leaned forward more, her eyes growing wide as she stared just beyond the buildings, out as the mass of blue water just beyond. “So pretty! It’s my first time seeing it!”

There was a collective whisper of gasps, no doubt being the first time almost the entire group had seen the sea, as well. Yona heard Zeno laugh, the boy nodding his head with a grin.

“Welcome to Awa Port of the Earth Tribe, Miss!” He cheered, smiling brightly at her.

“Have you been here before, Yellow?” Yoon asked, turning his attention to him. Zeno nodded, his smile growing bigger.

“Zeno used to travel a lot before he went to Kuuto,” he explained, glancing at the city again.

“What about your village?”

“Ouryuu doesn’t have a village.”

Yona smiled, pausing before looking at Zeno and Kija, her eyes curious. “So… Does it feel like Ryokuryuu is here?”

“Well…” Kija muttered, frowning slightly. “It’s more like… I can sense him, but Ryokuryuu’s presence keeps shifting around everywhere… I feel dizzy just following it…”

“Ryokuryuu’s can never stay still!” Zeno stated, gently patting Kija’s shoulders. “Zeno feels dizzy, too.”

“The power of the dragons isn’t omnipotent,” Yoon muttered, tapping his chin in thought. “Maybe their power suddenly plummets when they go over their limit…”

“Zeno does not like the look on the lad’s face.”

“Fine, fine,” Yoon waved the dragon off, frowning a bit. “First things firsts, we need to rest from the journey. And while we’re here, I want to stock up on supplies and food.”

“Okay!” Yona cheered, clapping her hands. “Let’s go to the port!”

“No! None of you guys can go!” Yoon snapped, glaring at them. “You’re all suspicious! Especially ShinAh, you’re especially suspicious!”

“Zeno thinks the lad’s judgement is harsh, but he will go to get-”

“I do not trust you with money!”

Yona laughed at the hurt expression that crossed Zeno’s face, the dragon’s mouth dropping open in shock as he stared at Yoon.

“I will go into the port town, you four stay here!”

“I want to go too!” Yona demanded, looking at Yoon with a frown. He shook his head, pointing to the girls hands.

“Your hands are hurt,” he stated, raising his hand to point to her face. “Plus your eyes have bags under them. You’ve been working way too hard, Yona.”

“Okay… Be careful while you’re out…”

Yoon nodded before he took off, climbing quickly down the side of the cliff towards the city. Yona sighed heavily, stretching her arms as she glanced around at the group.

“… Do any of you have rips in your clothes…?” She asked, eyeing Zeno in particular.

 

* * *

 

“Such a beautiful day…”

He shifted his weight, effortlessly dropping down onto the ground below him, carefully brushing his bangs from his eyes. He glanced around at the city, noting how lively it was today, despite the underlying evil that poisoned Awa. Closing his eyes, he soaked in the warm sun, feeling something seem to call for him just beyond the city’s border.

“Ah,” he muttered, opening his eyes before smiling. “So they’ve come for me.”


	16. A Pirates Aesthetic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, Cynic is an awesome beta reader, go check her stuff out she's freaking awesome, round of applause for Cynic!

Yoon darted along the stalls, a grin crossing his face as he looked around the city. Never had he been to such a lively place in his life, the boy stretching his arms as he slowed to a walk. He had time, he reasoned, he should enjoy this moment of freedom from the others for just a bit longer.

He glanced around, a light breeze kicking up as he studied the people surrounding him. A frown crossed his face, noting how dull everyone appeared to be, many people with expressionless faces.

“Am I seeing this right,” he wondered, shaking his head. “Or does it look like… No… That can’t be…”

He stopped for a moment, tapping his chin in thought. He didn’t have time to sit and think on what was going on in the town. At the moment, he had to find supplies, as well as purchase some more food (knowing damn well the moment he approached the group again Zeno would be asking about dinner), and he had to find any information he could about Ryokuryuu.

“Why, hello beautiful.”

Yoon froze, turning to face two older men, their eyes gleaming as they approached. He clenched his hands into fists, forcing himself to remain calm. No good would come of running, he decided, stepping back slowly as they got closer.

“What’s an adorable little girl like you doing out here all alone?” One spoke, finally reaching him, studying him with calculating eyes.

“What do you want,” he asked, stepping back again, grimacing as they just came closer.

“Is that any way to treat an Awa Officer?” The second spoke, leaning forward to pull Yoon close to him. “Listen, listen, tell me how much it is to buy you for, that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

Are they kidding?

Yoon pulled his hand away, trying hard not to voice his disgust. “I’m a boy, you realize.”

“Sure you are, beautiful.”

They were scums bags, in no way would they listen, it seemed. Yoon clenched his jaw together, attempting to break free. “Let me go, I have somewhere to be!”

“Sure you do, sure you do,” the first officer spoke, simply ignoring him and pulling him close. “Come here, don’t be afraid.”

“Someone help me!” Yoon yelled, suddenly regretting the decision to make Kija and ShinAh stay behind with Yona.

Almost as if answering his calls was one of the officers knocked over with a foot to the face, the man falling to the ground with a heavy thud. Yoon stared in surprise, the person owning the foot straightening out, shifting his weight to deliver another swift kick to the other officer, knocking him over and sending him flying into the wall.

“How ugly,” Yoon’s rescuer stated, straightening himself out again, dusting himself off. “To be seducers of such a young and innocent child, I couldn’t help but intervene.” He turned to Yoon, a smile on his face. “My, you are rather cute though, aren’t you?”

“If you’re going to pull the same thing as those creeps, then I’m walking away,” Yoon grumbled, dusting himself off. “I have things I need to do. Besides, I’m a pretty boy, those jerks simply wouldn’t listen to me at all.”

“Well, as you can see, Awa is a dangerous place for cute boys like yourself, then,” the older man stated, shaking a finger as if disciplining a student. “If you have things to do, please, allow me to be your escort.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Yoon muttered, pulling his journal out, studying the list he made himself earlier. He turned away from the other, hoping he would get the hint and leave him alone.

“It would be an honour! Being seen in the company of such an adorable young person is enough to make anyone feel good!”

Apparently he didn’t.

“Look, you really don’t have to do that.”

He shook his head, smiling brightly at Yoon. “Please. Allow me. Oh, by the way. My name is JaeHa. What’s yours?”

 

* * *

 

“Yoon’s been gone for a long time,” Yona muttered, shifting her weight to lean against a rock, watching as Kija and Zeno struggled to set up a fire. She pulled a stitch through Zeno’s coat, sighing slightly as the other two became enthralled in their duty. “Are you really not worried about him?”

“Yoon is fine,” ShinAh muttered, gently patting Yona’s arm.

She smiled at him, but still couldn’t help but feel worried. Yoon was a year younger than her, and without one of the older members of their group he could easily get himself in trouble. She focused on the stitches she was making, biting her lips as she listened to Zeno and Kija continue to fix the fire. With a huff she finished the repair she was making, pausing to look up as she heard an annoyed grumble coming from Zeno.

“Zeno has faith in the lad! The lad will be fine, fine!” Zeno stated before throwing a rock at the failed attempt of a fire, falling onto the ground with a heavy sigh. “Zeno, on the other hand, is not fine. Zeno is giving up on the fire.”

“You cannot just quit!” Kija exclaimed, looking at Zeno in shock. “We have a job to do!”

“Zeno thinks Hakuryuu can do it on his own!”

“What is that beast doing on his own?”

Zeno jumped as Yoon’s voice carried over to them, then boy glaring at them as he approached with various bags. He set them down, sighing heavily as he turned to look at them. “What are you beasts even doing?”

“You’re back!” Yona cheered, carefully tossing Zeno’s jacket aside to scramble up, throwing her arms around Yoon with glee.

“Of course I’m back, I had the help of this guy!” Yoon stated, turning behind him, pointing at something. “Wait, where did he go…?”

“Who?” Kija asked, looking up in confusion, momentarily pausing in building the fire. “I don’t see anyone.”

“I could have sworn he was right behind me!” Yoon stated, shaking his head. “It was this guy… He saved me from some creeps in town, and decided it was his personal mission to suddenly accompany me the entire time I was in town.”

“Oh, well it’s a shame he didn’t come to share dinner!” Kija sighed, shaking his head. “It would have been nice to meet your rescuer!”

“Zeno is pretty sure this rescuer would not come near us,” Zeno muttered, tapping his chin. Yona looked at him, tilting her head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, nothing. Zeno is just mumbling to himself! Anyway, Lad, is it time to eat?”

“Figures you’d be after food!”

 

* * *

 

He took off quickly once the kid was outside of town, feeling his heart pound. He didn’t realize how close he had come to approaching the other three dragons, not realizing the kid was associated with them. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt distance grow between him and the dragons, shaking his head as he landed on the ground, taking a moment to relax.

“What could they possibly be doing here,” he grumbled, shifting his weight and jumping into the sky, feeling the wind lick his face as he jumped through town, the villagers below paying him no notice. “Nothing good could possibly come from this… Did they bring that foolish Hiryuu, the master of the four dragons, as well? Are they trying to recruit me?”

He scoffed as he came closer to the ocean, a grin forming on his face as he spotted the ship he called home, putting the last ounce of energy he had into the next jump, landing gracefully on deck.

“Could you have returned home just a little more quietly, JaeHa?”

He looked up at the voice's owner, a smile forming on his face as he spotted the captain of the ship, the older woman pulling a drag from her pipe while glaring at him in annoyance.

“It’s a magnificent entrance, isn’t it, Captain Gi-Gan?” He spoke, standing up with a flourish. He brushed a lock of hair out of his face, spinning around and revelling in the safety of the ship. Never in his life had he suddenly felt so safe from those who had pursued him. Well, aside from when he first arrived at Gi-Gan’s ship twelve years ago.

“I’m shocked you heard me, you frog…” Gi-Gan grumbled, sighing heavily with a shake of her head. She shifted her weight to lean back onto a hand, eyeing JaeHa with suspicion. “You were the one who stood out and caused trouble in town, weren’t you?”

“I was in a bit of a rush,” JaeHa simply agreed, nodding his head.

“What was it? Were the officers chasing you?”

“No, I took them both out before they knew what was going on,” the man stated, shaking his head. “But there are even more dangerous people that have made their presences known. I’m surprised they found me.”

“Oh. Could it be the ones you told me about in the past?”

“Yes. Apparently…” He frowned as he stared out past the safety of the ship, tapping his chin lightly. “Hakuryuu, Seiryuu, and Ouryuu have come to town.”

How odd it was, he reasoned, shaking his head as he turned his back on the view of the town, making his way down into the ships living quarters. What were the three of them doing in town together? Was it as the legend told, and the Red Dragon would return to the earth?

He didn’t want to believe it.

There was no possible way that the legends of old would finally come true. And if they were, there would be no way that he would follow a foolish man who decided he controlled his destiny. It wasn’t a beautiful life to suddenly be tied down to obey someone, to throw his life on the line at the simple beck and call of a stranger.

In no way, JaeHa decided, would the other three dragons manage convince him to leave Awa, to leave Captain Gi-Gan and the crew she had gathered. He had much more important things to do than to be bossed around by some idiot with red hair.

The day moved on, the dragon deciding to stay on the ship, least the idiots he was avoiding managed to find him in town. He tried to recall what they looked like, but for the life of him he couldn’t quite remember, aside from the feeling of having to run as fast as he could to avoid being captured and recruited.

And if JaeHa had his way, he would never be caught by them.

 

* * *

 

“Kija, are you sure about this?”

Zeno watched as Kija nodded his head, the group standing just above a cliff as they looked down upon the ocean at a lone ship tucked away. He leaned forward, trying to memorize how it looked, tilting his head to the side with a hum.

“This is the place that they all agreed that Ryokuryuu could be sensed around,” Yoon answered, sighing heavily as he crossed his arms.

“He’s not in town at all, huh? No fair,” Yona grumbled, pouting as she looked out at the ocean. Zeno tapped her shoulder, pointing out the ship to her. “Huh?”

“That is where Ryokuryuu is, Miss,” Zeno stated, watching as Kija nodded quickly.

“It’s an anchored ship,” Yona muttered. Zeno watched as Yoon seemed to freeze, something clicking in his head.

“Wait, that can’t be!” He exclaimed, turning to look at the dragons in alarm. “That’s a pirate ship!”

“What?!” Kija stated, his eyes growing wide as he leaned over the edge of the cliff in shock, studying the make and build just as Zeno had earlier. “Why would Ryokuryuu possibly be on a pirate ship?!”

“Well, it’s not a merchant or government ship,” Yoon corrected, shaking his head. “So it’s either a personal ship or a pirate ship…”

“Zeno thinks we’re going to have to ask Ryokuryuu himself,” he stated, pausing as he spotted the boat suddenly rock, a black figure darting from the ship itself. “Oh…”

“Ryokuryuu’s presence disappeared,” Kija muttered, staring in shock. “ShinAh, did you see anyone leave the ship…?”

“… No…” ShinAh muttered. “Wasn’t watching…”

“Well great,” Yoon grumbled, shifting his weight to get up with a sigh. “We lost him. Looks like it’s time to head into town, I guess… We’ll split up and search there, okay?”

“Right!”

Yoon led them off, Zeno and Kija keeping the rear of the group as the marched towards town. Yoon paused, turning to face ShinAh with a frown.

“You need to take your wig and mask off,” he stated. Zeno watched as colour seemed to drain from ShinAh’s face, or from what they could see of it, his lips forming a worried frown. “Don’t worry, we’ll still cover your eyes. I have a bit of cloth we can tie around them, instead.”

Zeno froze at the mention of covering ShinAh’s eyes with a cloth, memories of seeing Abi’s face covered flooding back into him. He remembered watching the older girl tie them around her eyes after being captured, refusing to take them off for anything.

“Zeno thinks that is a really bad idea!” He stated, waving his hands in front of him, the group turning to face him in confusion. “The… Mask is not suspicious! If people ask, Zeno will tell them it’s a custom from Seiryuu’s village! Or… Or we’re performers!”

He didn’t care what it cost, he didn’t want to see the dragon with a cloth around his eyes.

“Ah, you sure it will work?” Yoon asked, frowning a bit. “The mask will draw attention to us.”

“Zeno is positive it will work!”

“What does ShinAh want to do?” Yona interrupted, turning to the dragon in question.

ShinAh remained silent, shaking his head slightly, the bells attached making a soft tinkle of music. “… I’ll go back… To camp…”

Zeno felt himself relax.

“Ah, okay then, ShinAh,” Yoon replied, pulling off a bag from his shoulder. “Would you be able to take this back, then? We’ll be back later tonight, okay?”

ShinAh nodded, taking the bag before heading off quickly.

“… I really wish he had decided to come into town with us,” Yona grumbled, crossing her arms. “It’s not fair. He isn’t strange, and a lot of the other villages we went into didn’t pay much attention to the mask…”

“We have to make ShinAh feel welcomed in the group,” Kija stated, gently patting Yona’s shoulder. “We pulled him from a completely disrespectful surrounding, it will take time for him to open up to us. But, he has opened up considerably to you, Princess.”

“I know, I know…”

“Come on, there’s no point pouting, we need to go to town and see if we can find Ryokuryuu,” Yoon stated, grabbing Yona’s arm and gently pulling her towards the port city.

Zeno followed, heaving a sigh of relief.

“… You were awfully quick to discourage Yoon’s idea, Zeno…” Kija finally stated, watching as the other two walked. “Might I ask why?”

“Let’s say Zeno has some bad memories with people wrapping cloths over their eyes,” Zeno muttered, sighing a bit. “Zeno still remembers seeing a very dear friend cover her eyes because they were different than normal eyes, and it broke Zeno’s heart.”

“Ah… I see.”

Zeno nodded, shaking his head quickly. “Anyway, enough sad! We have to pin point down Ryokuryuu, and to do that Zeno thinks Hakuryuu should practice keeping himself hidden! Ryokuryuu is going to be tricky to pin point in on, so Zeno thinks the two of us should split up!”

“What do you mean?”

“Hurry up you two!” Yoon stated, waving his hand. “Yona and I are discussing splitting up for our city search!”

Zeno raced over with a grin, nodding brightly. “Right, right!” He agreed, latching onto Yona’s arm with a hum. “Zeno will take the miss and we’ll search together!”

“Why will you take the princess?!” Kija demanded, huffing softly. Zeno grinned at him.

“Because Zeno promised the miss he wasn’t going to let her out of his sights again, remember?”

“Zeno you don’t have to accompany me,” Yona muttered, contradicting her words and holding onto Zeno’s arm just as tightly, her shoulders relaxing.

“Your words don’t match your actions, Yona,” Yoon muttered, avoiding the girl’s sudden swat at him. “Kija, you should be fine on your own, and I’ll go off on my own, too. I didn’t find everything I was looking for yesterday, and it would be a nice break from you rare beasts.”

“Ah, are you sure, Yoon?”

“Positive! Okay, let’s agree to meet up together back at the camp with ShinAh, okay?”

 

* * *

 

JaeHa landed on the ground, surveying the city with a frown. He was sure the three dragons were not in the town today, or at least, he couldn’t sense them. The only one he could sense was perhaps Seiryuu, the dragon in the same place as he was yesterday, just on the outskirts of town. He tapped his chin, walking forward in thought.

“The dragon’s eyes,” he muttered, sighing slightly. “Oh, how beautiful rumors have been on the eye’s appearance. Too bad I will most likely never see them…”

He focused on weaving himself around villagers, humming as he took in the salty air. From the corner of his eye he spotted the boy he rescued yesterday, for a fleeting moment a shiver of panic shot into him. However, no one was around him that he was talking to, no one with annoyingly brightly coloured red hair, at the very least. JaeHa shook his head, darting forward to approach the kid, a smile forming on his face.

“Oh, you’re from yesterday!” He stated, smiling brightly as the boy turned to face him in shock, a scowl forming on his face. “My, my, my, it must be fate that we’ve been able to meet again!”

“What do you want,” he grumbled, sighing slightly as JaeHa approached, the man smiling brightly.

“We’re together now!” JaeHa replied, quickly throwing an arm around Yoon’s shoulder, bending down slightly. “Say, would you like to go out for a bit?”

“No, I…”

“To tell you the truth,” JaeHa whispered, watching as Yoon narrowed his eyes. “It’s because I’m being followed.”

He wasn’t going to tell the kid by who. For all Yoon knew, JaeHa could be being followed by the officials he knocked down yesterday. Not like he’d ever actually be caught by them.

“Officers?” Yoon asked, keeping his voice equally low. JaeHa noted the look of slight panic that crossed the boy’s face, nodding slightly.

“Hn, well, something like that,” he muttered, leading the younger one off without much of a warning. “It’s okay. No harm will befall you while you’re with me.”

He led him off quickly, ignoring the boys protests as they weaved around the port city’s villagers, a grin forming on his face as he lead him into a building, giving the child no time to really react to what was happening.

“Why are we here during the day?!” Yoon asked as JaeHa gestured to a table, various girls suddenly flocking to surround JaeHa. “You realize I’m only fifteen, right?!”

“Well, these kind of places are easy to hide in,” JaeHa explained, sitting at the table as a girl brought over some alcohol, offering it to him.

“Is that so? I think those perverted officers would come in here at this time of day, too,” Yoon grumbled, eyeing the girls with a frown.

JaeHa was pretty sure King Hiryuu would not dare approach such a place. He smiled in pride at the thought, watching as the boy looked uncomfortable. However, he did regret bringing a child here.

“Do these kind of places interest you?” Yoon grumbled, glaring at the other.

“It’s not that they don’t, but…” JaeHa replied, shaking his head. He watched as the boy shifted uncomfortably, not looking at any of the fine woman that had come to keep them company. “I will apologize for bringing you here. The people I’m being followed certainly won’t approach, I believe.”

Yoon was quiet, turning to study JaeHa with a frown. “… You’re wearing weird clothes,” he commented, narrowing his eyes. “Where were you born?”

“Eh?!” JaeHa panicked, looking at him in confusion. “Me? I… What about you?”

“I was born in a poor town in the Fire Tribe.”

“Here!” JaeHa replied. “I was born here! These clothes were imported from the Kai Empire.”

“Ah, I see…” Yoon muttered, tapping his chin. “You can get a lot of different things here simply because it’s a port town, huh…? Speaking of… There’s something strange about it, too…”

JaeHa frowned as Yoon spoke, the blond cupping his chin in his palm, a frown settled on his face.

“Upon first glance, it seems normal, but the citizens have this… Dead look in their eyes, don’t they…?” Yoon asked, turning to look at JaeHa. “Is something going on?”

“… You’re a sharp kid,” JaeHa grinned, shaking his head. “Awa Port is completely run by a powerful man named Yang Kum-Ji. Everyone in the town lives in fear of him. He takes part in a horrific business that’s kept a secret in this country.”

“Horrific?”

“Human trafficking.”

JaeHa watched as a blank expression coloured Yoon’s face, the other looking at him in shock. “Are you serious?!”

“It’s mostly women and children,” JaeHa commented, shifting his weight to fold his hands together, leaning into the tent he had created as he watched the child before him. “It’s a surprise you weren’t taken, actually. They’re all a bunch of corrupted scum, though.”

“Slavery is outlawed in this country!”

“The King has changed, so I don’t know what will become of it from here on out.” JaeHa replied, shaking his head. “Taking away someone’s freedom is the ugliest thing one can do in this world. People like that ought to decay into dirt and come back as thorny roses. Don’t you think so?”

Yoon remained silent, frowning slightly. “I know three idiots who would gladly be a human shield, so…”

Of course he did. He was one of Hiryuu’s companions.

“You’re rather particular about freedom…” Yoon stated, shaking the previous thought from his head. “What’s the deal with that?”

JaeHa paused, shaking his head. “Actually…”

He felt a sudden wave of Ouryuu’s presence, the dragon freezing in shock as he heard a voice call out to Yoon. As the child turned his head, he darted out of the room, out to the freedom that called to him.

“That was dangerous,” he muttered, taking a deep breath. As he jumped out of the window, landing gracefully onto the roof of the next building. “I was careless, I got too wrapped up in conversation… That was Ouryuu? He came way too close to the shop…”

He felt himself relax as he forced himself to jump onto the next building’s rooftop, sighing. “Who was that next to Ouryuu though…? It made my heart pound, and my leg is throbbing even more… Whatever. They’re wasting their time. I don’t know what those idiots could possibly want with me…”

He focused his power to jump through the air, taking him back towards the anchored ship of Gi-Gan. “Pff, particular about freedom… Of course I am. The legend of the four dragons? A master I have to protect? It’s absurd. Having my fate decided for me since the time I was born goes against my beauty!”

He smiled as the wind licked his face, the salt air stinging his eyes. After twelve years he was still not used to it.

“Just watch me run away from my fate. If King Hiryuu appears, watch me turn him down flat!”


	17. The Pirate's of Awa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-Chapter warning: There is blood. There is violence. There is a death mention.
> 
> Special thanks to Cynic as always for beta reading (Still laughing you thought it would be literal drunken chapter NOPE at least 3/4 of it was written before I started drinking. The amazing descriptions halfway though JaeHa though. That was drunken Wooly's work. Anyway, onto the chapter!)

“Aaahh?!”

Yona stared up at the blond in the shop, watching as they turned around to reveal Yoon’s shocked face.

“What are you doing?” Yona asked, watching as Yoon nearly jumped, the boy waving his hands.

“Yona, Zeno! What are you doing here…?” He seemed to pause, registering how the situation seemed to present itself to the other two. “It’s not what it looks like! This idiot dragged me along to hide from…”

She watched as he turned to grab someone, nearly yelling in confusion.

“Wait, he’s gone?! Where did he go?! You two stay right there let me get out of this-!”

He scrambled from the chair he was in, vanishing further into the building only to appear a short moment later from the entrance, his face red in indignation.

“Zeno wants to know what the lad was doing here in the middle of the day,” Zeno commented, clicking his tongue in disapproval at the younger boy. Yona watched as Yoon glared at him, his face getting redder.

“What are YOU doing here?!”

“Zeno said he sensed Ryokuryuu around here,” Yona stated, watching Yoon cross his arms with a huff. “We certainly didn’t think we’d come to a place like this and find you here… Hum… Zeno what do you…?”

“Zeno thinks the lad is too young to be here,” Zeno stated, shaking his head. “Zeno knows the lad is maturing, but-”

“That has nothing to do with why I was here! And don’t go spouting those words around Yona! She is innocent of this!”

“Lad, calm down, we need to look for Ryokuryuu!” Zeno stated, gesturing his hand for Yoon to follow, the boy’s face still beet red. Yona sighed as she watched Yoon, frowning slightly as he tried to explain to her over and over about why he was there.

“The idiot that saved me yesterday dragged me there!” He tried reasoning, Yona sighing heavily.

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Yoon, really,” Yona stated, gently patting the other’s head. “You’re growing older, right? I understand.”

“That still wasn’t the reason I was there!”

She smiled, nodding her head. “If you say so.”

“I do say so! I was dragged there by the idiot named JaeHa!”

“Lad! Keep your voice down!” Zeno stated, gently pushing the two into a break in the buildings near them. Yona froze, keeping silent as Zeno sheltered the two of them from something, waiting for the dragon to relax before speaking again.

“Zeno?”

“Sorry, Miss, Zeno spotted some officers…” Zeno muttered, sighing heavily. “Zeno is pretty sure the miss stands out enough that they might question and wonder who she is.”

“It’s best we don’t stand out…” Yona agreed, turning to glance at Yoon. “Have you found anything about Ryokuryuu?”

“Ah, no… I was wrapped up by that idiot to do too much…”

“Yoon, that’s no good! We need to find Ryokuryuu!” Yona reminded him, gently whacking his head. Yoon huffed, dodging the full blow, shaking his head a bit.

“I know, I know, but while I was talking with JaeHa I learned something interesting,” he stated. “The Lord of the town, Yang Kum-Ji, he’s been participating in human trafficking…”

“Ah?!”

“Yeah, that’s why the whole town looks so…”

“So dead,” Zeno added, glancing around as he herded the two out of the crack in the wall, sighing. “Zeno thought something was up. It is not a very cheerful town, as Zeno had thought it was.”

“How terrible,” Yona muttered. “So everyone probably lives in fear of the Lord… Why did father never do anything…?”

“Perhaps he never knew,” Yoon stated, shaking his head. “It’s possible. We should try and figure out what’s going on in this town while we’re here, perhaps Ryokuryuu can wait a bit…”

“Neh, Zeno is thinking that Ryokuryuu will show up eventually,” Zeno commented, pausing just outside a shop, looking in the window. “Zeno thinks the pirates might have a good idea about how to deal with the Lord, right, Miss?”

“Yes, they’d be a good start.”

She felt Yoon’s eyes on her, the girl smiling at him.

“While you were busy with the girls,” Yona started, avoiding the boy’s fist with a giggle. “Zeno and I heard some rumors about the pirate ship we spotted earlier. Apparently, they don’t hurt anyone in Awa, and the only ships they attack are the city’s Lord’s ships.”

“Are you serious?” Yoon blinked, looking at her. “Why are they…?”

“More rumors,” Zeno interrupted, grinning broadly. “The pirates are trying to bring down the government.”

“Meaning,” Yona added, smiling brightly at Yoon as he turned to her, confusion colouring his face. “That if we can’t find Ryokuryuu, we may as well join the pirates and stop this corrupted Lord.”

She watched as Yoon processed what she had said, smiling as he began yelling at her about how dangerous it would be, Zeno trying to calm the boy down and explain.

It didn’t matter what Yoon, or even Kija, had to say. She wanted to meet with these pirates of Awa. All she needed was Zeno’s support and she would do it no matter what.

 

* * *

 

Night had settled upon the port city, JaeHa sitting in the crow’s nest, listening to Yang Kum-Ji’s crew talk to themselves. He felt himself grin at their words, keeping a close eye on the man he had tied up beside him.

“Where is the shipment?”

He leaned over a little bit, focusing on the string of dialogue below him, wanting to make sure he knew as much as he could. This mission would only work if they could easily thwart the plans, and he still had a bit of time before his own crew boarded the ship to take it over.

“It’s all been piled up. After this we’ll hand it over to the errand-boys in the harbour.”

JaeHa scowled, shaking his head. How ugly.

“Hey, look out! Are there any suspicious boats nearby?”

“No,” JaeHa replied, sipping carefully at the cup of tea he held, leaning against the pole behind him. The man beside him stirred a little, JaeHa giving him a swift kick to silence him.

“I see… Then we don’t need to worry…”

“It looks like even the pirates couldn’t find our boat tonight.”

“Yeah, we need to pay careful attention this time. We can’t have information leaking.”

“Um…” JaeHa called out, leaning over the edge of the nest carefully, looking down at the men below.

“What is it, lookout?”

“What’s the ‘shipment’ you mentioned before?”

“Huh? What are you asking that for now? It’s the new drug we smuggled from the Kai Empire.”

“What’re we gunna do with something like that?” JaeHa wondered, scowling. How ugly it was for these men to do such a thing as poison this town even further.

“No matter how we do it, we’ll let it drain into town and take their money.”

“Haha, oh, that’s so bad!”

“That’s not pretty.” JaeHa scowled, shifting his weight and picking the man up, carefully pushing him over the side of the nest, watching as the men below let out a yell of panic.

“Eh?! What’s going on?!”

“I’m late in introducing myself,” JaeHa stated, taking another sip of his tea. “I replaced your lookout a while ago. I’m the handsome newcomer.”

“Y-You bastard! Who are you?!”

JaeHa ignored them, grinning widely as the pirate ship he called home approached from the side. “Oh, look, seniors of mine. Could that be the suspicious boat you talked about?”

“It’s-!”

He glanced at the ships helm, spotting Gi-Gan take a long drag of her pipe, staring coldly at the ship. Her voice carried up to him, the authority she held sending shivers down JaeHa’s spine.

“Sink it, you brats.”

Within moments the pirates leaped onto the ship, each holding a long thick stick as a weapon, wild grins on their faces.

“It’s the pirates!”

“Take your positions! Fight them off!”

JaeHa laughed, leaning over the edge of the nest as he surveyed the mess below him, various crew members attempting to fight his family of pirates. “Take your positions?” He asked, frowning in confusion. “It’s too late now. Because of this, the officers will-”

Something whizzed past him, cutting the side of his hand. He froze as blood dripped from the fresh cut, slowly turning his attention to face an officer holding a bow and aiming for him, his eyes narrowed.

“Hm.” He commented, lowering his hand slowly to lick at the wound, keeping his eyes trained on the archer. “That breeze felt rather good.”

He shifted his weight, quickly jumping from the nest, a wide grin forming on his face as the arrow shot past him, missing him completely.

“Ah, this power truly is the best,” He stated, hearing startled gasps come from the officers below, feeling his heart sing in joy at being able to use his power. “Oh, here’s a gift in return!”

He threw his arm to the side, letting loose three of the many daggers he kept hidden on him at all times, watching as one pierced the archer that had shot him in the shoulder, pining the man to the deck of the ship with a heavy thud. He returned his attention to his landing point, gently resting on the wood for a brief moment before launching himself in the air again, listening to the startled gasps below.

“He’s jumping…?” An officer asked, looking up in shock.

“Good night,” JaeHa muttered, pulling three more daggers free from his clothing, holding them carefully in his hand. “And sweet dreams.”

He flicked his wrist, the blades knocking the man unconscious. He smiled in victory, turning his attention to one of his crew members, watching as he was knocked down, the micro moment of pride vanishing as he shifted his weight to land on the man’s head, knocking him down.

“Yo!” He stated, glancing at his fellow pirate, Toku, offering him a grin. “Why are you having such a hard time fighting? They’re just officers.”

“JaeHa… Stop playing around and lend me a hand!” Toku stated, glaring at JaeHa as he scrambled up.

“If you can’t do it yourself, Captain Gi-Gan will drown you.” JaeHa reminded him, grinning widely as he spun around to deliver a perfectly aimed roundhouse kick to an officer that had approached him from behind.

“I can’t help it!” Toku stated, ducking as another officer approached, raising his weapon in defence. “I was just a fisherman until five years ago!”

“In other words, you’ve been a pirate for five years.”

“Captain Gi-Gan, that stuffs in here!”

That was Tatsu’s voice. JaeHa turned to spot him, the pirate in a storage room. He was standing over an officer that had been knocked out, a smug grin on his face.

“Set the boat on fire, you lazy punks,” Gi-Gan’s voice rang out from their ship, a collective shout of “Yes Captain” following suit.

It took them a moment to collect the knocked out officers, to set them in a life raft and drop it to the water. JaeHa lost track of who was doing what, but made sure his crew was safely back on their ship before the official’s boat blew up, nodding in pride at their handiwork.

“It seems Kum-Ji wasn’t there. What happened to those trash?”

“We put ‘em in rafts.” Tatsu stated, grinning widely.

“So you didn’t kill them.”

“Captain…” Maya commented, his shoulders drooping considerably. “That was seriously close!”

“We always come prepared to kill, but… We never knock them around enough to kill them…” That was Ryou, the dark haired man groaning slightly as he hunched over, stretching his muscles.

“That’s right!” Toku added, rubbing his cheeks with a groan. “We’re trying to make the officers disappear for Awa’s sake…”

“How foolish can you be?” Gi-Gan asked, turning to look away as she stared at her pipe. “It’s because I love you all. I don’t want my loved ones carrying the burden of murderers on their backs.”

Gi-Gan’s crew all sobbed, stumbling forward.

“Mommy!” One of the crew cried out.

“I love you, too!”

JaeHa laughed, watching as the Captain turned her back on them, scoffing slightly.

“I don’t remember giving birth to you clumsy brats.” She stated. She paused for a moment, turning to look at JaeHa in confusion. “What’s wrong with you, JaeHa? Even though you’re usually the noisiest, you’re awfully quiet.”

“Hn, my right foot has been aching since yesterday,” he replied, shaking his head.

“It feels good to you anyway, doesn’t it?”

“Actually, it kinda does!” He replied, nodding quickly.

“Shall I stomp on it?” Gi-Gan asked, narrowing her eyes as she stared at him, lifting her foot a bit before tapping JaeHa’s cheek, watching as the dragon leaned away.

“Thank you, Captain, I’m alright now!” He stated, giving her a bright smile. “I honestly wonder what’s wrong. It didn’t do this until now.”

“The soaring dragon’s foot…” Gi-Gan muttered, placing her pipe against her lips, thinking a bit. “It’s an ancient power, but no matter how many times I see it in action. It’s still a mystery to me.”

Maya grinned, giving JaeHa a thumbs up. “I’m really envious of JaeHa’s power.”

“He looks so cool leaping through the skies!”

“It’s great fighting alongside someone who is so encouraging too!”

“I’d rather have cute girls depend on me.” JaeHa replied, laughing at the sounds of discouragement the others made, running off quickly with a grin.

“You’re not very honest,” Gi-Gan commented as the crew slowly departed below, each man sighing heavily with exhaustion.

“I’m an extremely honest human being,” JaeHa retorted, lifting his hand and placing it on his hip, giving his captain a wide grin. He paused, his gaze shifting and looking up at the stars, feeling a familiar weight settle into his stomach, grip along the sides of his body with hunger. “But, that aside this place is a little too comfortable…”

He felt himself sigh, relaxing his shoulders as the weight crawled up his body, clinging to his heart. “Thirteen years ago, I rushed out of my village, went through a rough journey and found my way to this place… Even though they know about my power, nobody regards me as creepy and they don’t speak of it around me.”

The pressure lifted slowly, easing off of him, releasing him as if he had been freed. The feelings he felt swirl around settled, the dragon sighing in relief as he pushed past the memories of his village, the dark, disgusting smells of the hut he shared with his predecessor fading from his mind. “They’re such foolishly soft hearted people…”

“That’s because nobody is that interested in you,” Gi-Gan commented, releasing a puff of smoke into the air, watching it swirl above her in the cold air. JaeHa clenched his hand in a fist, turning to her with the best hurt expression he could muster.

“Eeehhh?!” He asked, pouting heavily. “That can’t be! Just wait a little more! They’re fascinated by me!”

He huffed, shaking his head as he leaned against the boat, sighing heavily. “Well, anyway, I’ll stay here for now. So please, put up with me, Captain.”

“Aren’t you going to go and meet your allies?”

He paused, looking at her as she a particularly long drag of the pipe, opening her mouth to let the smoke drift slowly from her lungs, eyeing JaeHa.

“Allies?” He asked her, frowning. “You don’t mean the dragons? Ha! What a joke! They’re strangers!”

“Is that so?” She asked, looking away. “Speaking of allies, I want a little more over here to be honest. Some with battle potential. Some of our people have been wounded. Kum-Ji’s officers have increased as well. Someday, I will find the location of the slave trade, and when that time comes, it will be quite a battle.”

“You’re being unusually sentimental, Captain Gi-Gan.” JaeHa commented, smiling at her.

“I won’t let any of our idiots die.”

He smiled at her devotion, shifting his weight to depart for the night, ducking down to the bunks, stretching his arms. He lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling of his room, heaving a heavy sigh.

Gi-Gan needed more allies who could be battle ready, he thought, chewing on his lip.

“If… I could convince those dreaded dragons I’m avoiding to help me instead,” he muttered, heaving a sigh, “Gi-Gan could have allies she needs to fight Kum-Ji… But that would risk having to meet that fool Hiryuu…

“But if we can end this evil corrupting Awa… Then maybe meeting this ruler of the four dragons and turning him down would be worth it…”

 

* * *

 

“Zeno? Are you sure about this?”

Zeno nodded his head, leading his group past the shops, striding with confidence. “Zeno is very sure about this,” he told Yoon, grinning widely. “Ryokuryuu seems to be waiting for us. But he isn’t standing still. Zeno is sure he will.”

It was just the three of them, Kija and ShinAh remaining back in their camp, the two that would stand out more staying put for a moment. Zeno regretted agreeing with Yoon when the boy had stated the idea, instead just nodding vigorously before grabbing Yona’s hand and leading her off, without Yoon.

Zeno was sure Ryokuryuu was waiting for them.

And all those years ago, he could have broken the child’s chains, could have taken him with him and ran from the village that chained him down. He bit his lip, wondering how Ryokuryuu had grown up, wondered how the cloak he had given him affected him as he continued to grow.

He could have taken Ryokuryuu and ShinAh from their villages, could have taught them to embrace their powers, could have raised them much better than they had. Zeno should have taken them with him when he had the chance.

“Zeno?”

He turned to face Yona, the girl looking at him in confusion. He smiled brightly, shaking off the guilt that clung to his chest, forcing it down into the pits of his stomach.

“Yes, Miss?” He asked, giving her his brightest smile.

“Did you hear that shatter…?” She asked, clinging to his hand, her eyes shifting towards the entrance to a shop.

Zeno frowned, looking up just as there was another shatter, freezing slightly. “It… Sounds like some officers are trashing the store.”

He held Yona back as the officer in question punched a child in the face, blood dripping down from the young boy’s nose. It must have been broken with the swing of the officer’s blow, the child screaming in pain.

“You must not go over there, Miss,” he whispered, pulling her close to him. “You’ll make a scene. Zeno knows the miss can’t stand to see this, but…”

“Considering last night, especially…” Yoon muttered, shaking his head. “It’s just a rumour amongst the townspeople, but Kum-Ji’s boat was attacked last night by pirates. The officers are all angry right now.”

“The miss needs to stay calm, okay?”

Zeno pulled Yona close, leading her off towards a different part of town, letting the shatters of ceramic and the screams of the family inside fade into the sounds of the city. He felt Yona stiffen as they walked, slowly begin to relax.

“Oh, wow…”

He looked up at Yoon’s words, the boy looking at the green haired individual staring at a bulletin board while he laughed, patting his knees. “Ahaha, how ugly! They couldn’t even get my face right!”

Zeno would recognize that green hair anywhere. It was the same length as Shuten’s had been, pulled back in a ponytail just as the first Ryokuryuu’s had been.

“JaeHa, what are you laughing at?” Yoon asked, stepping forward quickly to meet the other, easily slapping him upside the head despite the height difference. “That was for leaving me in that terrible store yesterday!”

“Ah, Yoon! Just the person I was looking for!” JaeHa stated, turning to smile at the boy, rubbing the side of his head. “See, I need to meet the companions you have.”

Zeno stepped in front of Yona, shielding her from the other’s gaze. “What does Ryokuryuu want with us?”

The other froze in shock, turning slowly to look at Zeno with his purple eyes wide, colour seemingly drained from his face.

“… What did you call me…?”

“What?! This buffoons Ryokuryuu?!”

Zeno nodded, smiling brightly at the green haired man. “Ryokuryuu does not seem to be too happy, hmm? Could it be that Ouryuu has found him?”

“You’re just a kid!”

“Yes, Zeno is.” He smiled, looking at JaeHa. “Zeno is just a kid. Hakuryuu and Seiryuu would be much more use against Awa’s Lord, don’t you think? You were looking for us, even though you did not want to meet us.”

He was waiting for the dragons. With the unrest in Awa, especially as of late, the four dragon’s strength would be a great asset to the Pirates of Awa.

“How… Did you know…?”

“Zeno is smart!” The blond replied, shifting and stepping aside. “The miss was looking for you, as well, Ryokuryuu.”

The initiation took over his body. Zeno watched as he stumbled forward, Yona darting towards him in worry.

“Are you okay?”

“Miss, all the dragon warriors go through the initiation.”

Yona ignored him, reaching forward and pressing her hand against JaeHa’s forehead, biting her lip lightly. “You’re burning up…!”

“I… I’m fine, young lady…” JaeHa muttered, pulling away with a frown. Zeno watched as he seemed to struggle against breaking the contact, the man shaking his head with a frown. “I… Was looking for allies for Gi-Gan, but I can see you won’t be much use…”

He shifted his weight and got up, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I’m not interested in serving you. I have no plan of following a master. I will choose the people I need to protect, and you are not one of them.”

“Ah.” Zeno could tell there was disappointment in Yona’s voice. “That’s fine. I was just going to ask you to lend me your power so we can keep living. You don’t need to act so menacing.” She paused, tilting her head to the side, Zeno just noticing the squirrel resting on her shoulder. “Actually, this Gi-Gan… Who is she?”

“She’s the captain of the Awa Pirates.”

“I want to meet her.”

Zeno nodded eagerly at Yona’s words, smiling brightly. “Zeno agrees with the miss. Again, Hakuryuu and Seiryuu would be very useful in fighting the Awa Lord.”

“Are you for real?”

“I’d listen to them,” Yoon commented, leaning against the building they were beside, his shoulders heaving with a sigh. “They’re both stubborn idiots. Actually, the whole lot of them are stubborn and idiotic beasts.”

“Yoon don’t be mean!” Yona huffed, glaring at the other. She puffed her cheeks out, taking a moment before turning back to face JaeHa, her eyes suddenly serious. “Zeno had to drag me away from an officer beating a child. He might have died, I don’t know. I want to know, but at the same time, I don’t. I’m incredibly frustrated, and angry, both at those officers, at the Lord, and myself… I don’t want to see another child hurt simply because an officer is angry. If there is some way I could help, could lend you the help that has been given to me, then please. Let me.”

“… I see. Then, I suppose I’ll speak with Gi-Gan. You know where our ship is, come there tomorrow.”

“We’ll be there.”


	18. A Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS LONG!!!  
> Thanks as always to Cynic, love you Cynic <3

“Don’t scare me like that again, Yona!”

Yona handed Yoon the radish, sighing a bit as he gave her a glance out of concern. She chewed on her lip, taking another of the vegetables and peeling it carefully, avoiding his glance.

“Zeno and I were discussing it before we found you, yesterday,” she muttered, turning her full attention on the vegetable, keeping her hands busy. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk it over with the rest of you… But I want to meet this pirate captain no matter what.”

“You’re dealing with pirates!” Yoon warned. “What’ll you do if they get rough?”

“Well, this is my decision, so you should stay behind and watch over things.” She paused for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip as she spoke. Yona closed her eyes, shaking her head before smiling slightly, forcing herself to remain calm. “Zeno and I will go alone if we have to.”

“Don’t be an idiot!”

She looked up at Yoon’s words, her eyes growing as he glared at her, shaking his head.

“I’m going, too!”

“I am going with you, as well, Princess!” Kija stated, rushing over quickly from the spot he had been sitting, ShinAh following close behind with an eager nod.

Yona couldn’t help but smile at the group. “You’re all so cute, you don’t have to…”

“Zeno thinks the miss should let them come,” Zeno stated from near a tree, leaning back into it with a stretch of his arms. She turned her attention to him, watching as he yawned, his brown eyes squeezing together tightly as he scrunched his face up. “Zeno has a feeling they’ll spring a test on everyone, so it would be good to bring Hakuryuu and Seiryuu, at the very least.”

“A test?” Yona asked, looking at him with a frown. She wondered why they would want to test them, tapping her chin lightly in thought. It couldn’t be helped, if that was the case, but even still, the idea of it…

“Oh!” She gasped, her eyes growing wide. “A test to see if we’re good enough to be allies?”

“Zeno thinks so,” the yellow dragon muttered, sighing heavily. “Seiryuu and Hakuryuu would for sure be welcomed, Zeno thinks. Same with the lad, he’s a fantastic healer and cook. As for Zeno and the miss…”

“Well, then Zeno, let’s get to work!”

Kija gave him a wide grin, patting his back. “This would be a great opportunity to test out your swordsmanship skills! ShinAh, how about you spar with Zeno?”

Yona looked at him in confusion, tilting her head to the side. “Why ShinAh?”

“Well, ShinAh is an exceptionally well trained sword fighter,” Kija stated, crossing his arms, giving Yona a quick nod. “Plus, this would be a great time to see what Zeno’s abilities are, if he can use them!”

“Zeno is very sure he won’t use his powers as Ouryuu,” Zeno grumbled, sighing heavily before getting up, dusting himself off. “If Seiryuu is okay with it, then Zeno would be willing to spar with him, to prove himself as a sword fighter.”

“Great! ShinAh?”

“… Okay.”

Yona watched as the three took off, listening to them talking quickly and excitedly among themselves about the sparring match. She returned her attention back to Yoon, watching as he continued to work with the radish he was cutting up, glancing at her with concern.

“What?”

“You really are something, sometimes, Yona,” he told her, sighing as he leaned back, setting the cut veggies in a pot, shaking his head. “You seem to have zero fears at all. How? What’s your secret?”

She laughed, shaking her head as she waved her hand. “No, no that’s not it at all! I’m actually quite scared! Zeno’s right, you’re right, I have no idea how these pirates will react! I don’t know if we’re going to be tested or not, and if so what I’ll be forced to do for that test…”

“They’ll probably make you dress up and be the mascot.”

“You shush, Yoon!”

There was a soft clang from a distances away, Yona looking up in alarm. “… Do you think…?”

“Zeno’s tough,” Yoon stated, glancing at her. “I’m sure he can take on ShinAh in a sword fight. Perhaps Kija too, if Kija jumps in and fights with his claws. Don’t worry so much, okay? You’re beginning to act like his worried lover.”

“Don’t say such things!” She exclaimed, gently hitting his arm. “Don’t say such outlandish lies like that, Yoon!”

“But it’s true,” he exclaimed, laughing slightly as she hit him, shaking his head. “You two worry about each other way too much. Honestly, it’s weird seeing one of you without the other.”

“Zeno’s been with me since I left the castle!” She stated, crossing her arms with an annoyed huff. “He protected me from people trying to kill me, saved me when we were cornered on the mountain pass, and he’s been here since.”

“You’re dependant on him. What’s going to happen when you can’t depend on him, Yona?”

Yoon’s question startled her, the girl falling silent almost instantly. She couldn’t answer that. True, she was working hard to be able to fight for herself, to be able to defend herself and others. But she still relied heavily on Zeno’s support, on everyone’s support. She relied on them to protect her still.

“I don’t know,” she simply replied, leaning back a bit, resting her hands on the ground behind her to support her weight. “I really, really don’t know.”

She mulled over the question as Yoon called the three dragons to eat, remaining silent the rest of the night.

 

* * *

 

Zeno stood behind Yona as they stood on the ship, facing the older captain and her crew. Kija was on his right, Yoon just behind him on the left, and ShinAh on Kija’s right. Yona’s hood was up, the girl standing tall as the ship’s captain seemed to survey the five of them.

It was an uncomfortable silence that settled around them.

Finally, Yona broke the eerie quiet that fell upon the ship, seeming to force her voice to be light and friendly.

“I’m Yona,” she introduced, “Are you the captain?”

The older woman remained silent, taking a moment to consider her response before closing her eyes and nodding. “… I am Captain Gi-Gan. I heard from JaeHa that you want to cooperate with us.”

“Yes.”

Gi-Gan surveyed the group again, crossing her arms as she let out a long sigh, turning her attention to JaeHa, the green dragon sitting just off to the side, sipping something from a cup.

“These are the allies you thought of?”

Zeno saw Yona wince at the comment, could practically sense her clench her hands into fists.

“Excuse me, Captain Gi-Gan!” The girl stated, puffing her cheeks out a bit. “Please! Do not brush us off! ShinAh and Kija are amazing fighters, I promise you! And Yoon is an amazing healer and cook! And Zeno is a great fighter, he’s teaching me how to become stronger!”

Gi-Gan looked at them, narrowing her eyes slightly as she studied them again.

“… The thing that matters to me the most is trust,” she began, gently strumming her fingers against her arm. “Who would ask for the help of people who can’t be trusted?”

“We’re strong, Captain,” Zeno responded, keeping her gaze as she turned her attention on him, narrowing her eyes slightly.

She nodded, her crew suddenly surrounding the five of them, startling Yoon enough that he leaped forward, grabbing Yona’s arm in shock. Zeno grabbed his sword, slowly, keeping an eye on the crew, on the two younger members of his group. He noticed without even needing a command that Kija and ShinAh had moved their positions, surrounding Yona and Yoon instantly, protecting them.

“If this is all they have, we’ll definitely win,” one of the crew commented, resting a staff on his shoulder, a confident grin on his face.

“Captain, they’re outnumbered no matter how you look at it…”

“You’re right,” Zeno sighed, turning his attention to Kija. “This is too much.”

“…Right?” That was ShinAh’s voice.

“Yes.” The white dragon agreed, shaking his head with a sigh.

“You three are bullies!” Yona huffed, pushing her way between Kija and Zeno, the yellow dragon spotting the shiny metal of her sword drawn, held out in front of her. “Let me prove myself, too!”

“Well, of course!” Zeno agreed, watching as the crew shifted restlessly, watching as JaeHa shifted his weight to watch them out of curiosity. “With the miss on our side, we three dragons can do anything!”

“We will take them down.”

Their words must have agitated Gi-Gan’s crew, the men leaping into action quickly, their weight shifting to wield their weapons in annoyance.

“Just try it!” Was chorused through the air.

Zeno blocked a wooden staff that was aimed for Yona, giving the girl enough time to knock the weapon away from the pirate. He took the moment of confusion to carefully knock the man down, listening as he groaned when he collided with the wooden deck. He could hear similar sounds from the rest of the crew, a grin forming on his face as he watched Yona easily counter and parley another crew member, knocking him back enough with only a slight huff.

She was growing stronger.

“Oh, boy…” JaeHa muttered after a moment, the sigh clear in his voice.

“Captain Gi-Gan.”

Those still standing turned to face Yona, the girl lowering her sword enough to look the older woman in the eye, her face determined. “How are you feeling? Do you want us now?”

“It’s no use, captain,” JaeHa muttered, shaking his head. “Those dragons' strength is abnormal. They’re like three of me. The girl, however…”

“You pass,” Gi-Gan stated after a moment of silence, pulling her pipe from the folds of her shawl, lighting it before turning to look more closely at Yona and Yoon. “However, don’t relax too quickly, you brats. What can you do?”

The question was aimed at Yoon, the boy looking at her in confusion.

“Well, I don’t like violence, so I don’t fight,” he told her. “Zeno’s taught me basic self defense, though. Other than that, like Yona somewhat said, I can do anything. Cooking, sewing, hunting, treating the wounded…” He counted each thing on his fingers, frowning as he seemed to attempt to recall everything he could do. “If I have the ingredients I can make explosives. I’m confident that if I’m taught I could steer a ship, as well. To top it all off I’m a pretty boy.”

Gi-Gan seemed to accept his words, turning to look at Yona with narrowed eyes. “How about you?”

“Eh?”

“What can you do,” Gi-Gan asked, raising the pipe to her lips and taking a long drag from it, studying her closely. “You weren’t too impressive in that fight. Aside from what looked like the bare basics of self defense, what can you do that would help me and my crew.”

“What… Else can I do…?” Yona muttered, frowning heavily. “I… Can help Yoon… I’m nowhere near as good as him, and I can fight, but nowhere near as good as the others…”

“Someone who doesn’t have any skills of their own will be a hindrance,” Gi-Gan began, blowing the smoke from her mouth, watching as it drifted into the sky, fading in the daylight. “Kum-Ji has a large number of difficult people working for him in this town. But if you don’t have the strength we need, then even if you fight back you will only lose your life. It was clear in that fight that you had to be assisted, or you could only stand on your own two feet after someone gave you the opening to do so. This fight is impossible for a little girl like you. Go home.”

“If the Princess cannot join, then we-!”

“Kija.”

Zeno watched as Kija nearly froze, looking at Yona in confusion. She continued to speak, clenching her hands into fists, clenching the handle of her sword tightly.

“It’s fine. It’s as Captain Gi-Gan says. But there’s a reasons I can’t retreat either.” Yona’s voice was steady, full of determination as she stared at the captain, her purple eyes unwavering. “You said I didn’t prove myself alongside Kija, ShinAh, and Zeno? Give me another chance, please. I will prove I can be of use to you, Captain Gi-Gan.”

Gi-Gan seemed to contemplate the offer, studying the girl thoughtfully.

“A high risk job would be the only thing that could make me believe you are trustworthy,” she replied.

“A high risk job…?” Yona asked in return, her eyes growing wide.

Zeno clenched his hands into fists, chewing on the inside of his lips. What on earth could this pirate captain want her to do?

“Yes. Right now you are extra baggage that serves no purpose. If the baggage is to fight alongside us against Kum-Ji, I’ll need to see if you are appropriately prepared to do it.”

“Prepared… Understood. What should I do?” Yona asked, looking at her.

“… How about you go and pick the senjusou?”

“Captain, that’s a bit too much…”

“Don’t interrupt me.” Gi-Gan ordered, returning her attention to Yona. “Senjusou grows on the Vanishing Cape. It’s a medical remedy that can cure the sick and wounded three times faster than normal.”

“Three times faster?!” Yoon asked, one of the most excited looks on his face that Zeno had ever seen. “This is the first I’ve ever heard about a medicine like that!”

Still, the look on the captain’s face worried Zeno, and the crew member’s comment had him even more concerned.

“It’s a valuable medicine within Kouka Kingdom that only grows on the Vanishing Cape. The people in Awa who know about it are small in number. Because there’s a small amount, it must not be completely plucked.” Gi-Gan sighed heavily, shaking her head with an annoyed expression clouding her face. “Of course, Kum-Ji must not come to know of it. They would sell it and place an outrageously high tax on it. If we have that plant, out injured comrades will recover quicker. It’s something we’ll greatly need for future battles. The guy who usually picks it has been injured. If you do this in his place, you’ll be accepted.”

“I understand.”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you.”

Zeno narrowed his eyes at the woman, watching her weathered and aged face go completely blank as she stepped towards Yona, raising her pipe to prod Yona’s chest with a frown.

“The senjusou grows on the side of a very steep cliff. Nobody is to lend you a hand in getting it, and you are to go alone.”

“What?!” Kija’s voice was full of concern, the dragon’s face paling a bit.

“So that was your plan from the start?” Yoon demanded, turning to look at Yona in concern. “Yona, this is crazy!”

“Yoon, please.”

Zeno watched as Yoon fell silent, looking at Yona with wide eyes. She shook her head, her expression set in stone.

“This is my job.”

“That’s the spirit,” Gi-Gan grinned, turning to JaeHa. “JaeHa, guide her.”

“Yeah, yeah…” The green dragon grumbled, sighing heavily as he scratched at the back of his head, shaking it slightly.

Yona turned around to face Yoon and Kija, smiling brightly. “Well, then, I’ll be leaving for a bit.” She turned her attention to ShinAh, and then to Zeno, giving them her brightest smile. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

Zeno nodded slowly, feeling a sense of cold panic wash over him at the thought of Yona putting herself in danger. He watched as JaeHa lead her off the ship, the girl just behind him.

“Is it alright to let her go?” Yoon finally asked, shifting nervously.

“We could try to stop her right now,” Kija muttered, ShinAh nodding slightly at his words. Zeno laughed at them, shaking his head.

“It’s no use!” He told them. “Even if we try to stop her, the miss won’t listen. Zeno thinks the best we can do is wait for her to return.”

His words sounded hollow even to his ears.

 

* * *

 

“Yona. That’s the Vanishing cape.”

JaeHa glanced behind him at the girl, forcing himself to keep calm as she surveyed the cliff, a worried expression growing quickly on her face.

“Your task is located down there. What will you do?” He turned his own attention to face the cliff, the sting of the salt air hurting his eyes as he narrowed them. JaeHa took a deep breath, turning to Yona again. “If you’re going to give up, now is the time.”

He could see the dread on her face.

“There’s that small path over there, okay? You’ll make your way down from there, and then there will be a cavity that only you’ll be able to fit into. You’ll pick the senjusou there and then come back. That’s it. Easy, right?”

 He mentally kicked himself, narrowing his eyes. Calling it easy was just being plain mean. The cliffs were hit relentlessly with crazy strong winds, and stone crushing waves. The people that came here froze in fear. He sighed, rubbing his neck.

He may have trusted Captain Gi-Gan, but this test was more than unfair.

Yona was silent, however, her eyes staring in a frozen shock at the cliff. After a moment she raised her hands, slapping her open palms against her cheeks, looking up with a suddenly determined frown. The squirrel that was on her shoulder seemed to jump in surprise, seemingly waking up from its nap.

“Okay.” Yona muttered, taking a deep breath as she slowly made her way to the path, her voice small and shaky. “I can do this. I’ll be okay… Captain Gi-Gan looked at my small stature and gave me this task to do…”

JaeHa wondered who she was talking to, following her silently as she stepped onto the path slowly, pressing her hands firmly against the wall as she made her way across the path, one slow step at a time. He followed, resting his hand against the warm stone, keeping his eyes trained on her. A moment later a sharp gust of wind pressed against them, knocking Yona into the cliffs edge, her foot slipping and her gaze shifting to look at the drop she would make should she truly fall.

He wondered how far she would be able to go.

He saw her press tightly against the cliff, her entire body trembled. Sounds of her crying drifted back to him, her voice small as she repeated over and over to herself how scared she was.

“Calm down. The wind isn’t that strong,” he called out to her, watching her take a slow step forward, the wind itself causing her travelling cloak to whip around her frail body.

He felt memories drift through his head of his predecessor, memories of the older man telling him about the four dragons. Stories of King Hiryuu being the ruler over the four dragons, the fact being engraved in the very blood of them, the death of the King not even being able to sever such a “bond”.

Stories of how the dragons had continued their bloodlines to this day, proven by the three idiots that had come to Awa just days before. And with this girl, this idiotic girl taking each step forward to collect the senjusou…

He hadn’t been expecting this. He had been expecting a mighty bastard who would rule over the four beasts with sheer strength. Not this frail girl who possessed not a single power.

Yesterday, his blood had acknowledged she was the one who ruled over the four dragons. The girl denied such a thing, stating she only wanted his help to keep living.

And yet, JaeHa couldn’t help but wonder. How could such a weak, trembling girl like the one in front of him be the one he had been avoiding?

“Yona, sweetie…” He called out, stepping forward again, trying his hardest to keep his voice gentle. “You don’t have to push yourself. You should go back if it scares you. The job the captain gave you is too much. Although you won’t be able to fight alongside us against Kum-Ji. Nobody is forcing you to do that. You don’t need to jump into danger by yourself.”

He couldn’t tell if it was the dragon’s blood flowing within him that wanted her to turn around, to return to safety, or if it was his own thoughts.

“Please, Yona.”

For a moment she stood still, but that was only for a moment. JaeHa watched in shock as she shook her head, continuing forward again.

“Yona!”

“… I won’t go back…” Yona muttered, her voice carrying on the wind to him. “I’ll… Be okay… I have to complete this one… Simple job…”

If it wasn’t for the fact he was worried about her he would have jumped back to the ship to yell at Gi-Gan for giving Yona such a job.

“Of course, if I can’t… I won’t be able to… To face Captain Gi-Gan… Or Zeno and the others…”

He could still see the girls trembling, could still hear the soft trickle of tears fall from her face.

The squirrel rubbed against her cheek, Yona giggling softly as she continued forward. “Ao… Thank you… I’ll do my best.”

Why are you going on ahead, he wanted to yell, a girl like you who has no powers has no right to do such a task as this.

“Heh… Heh… It’s nice that the target is medicine…”

“Why?”

“For instance… Right now… If Zeno, Yoon… Kija, or ShinAh were seriously injured… And if… The senjusou was the thing that could heal them… I would do anything to get it.”

JaeHa watched her with wide eyes, watched as she continued forward, the trembling steps slowly beginning to become sturdy, growing sure of herself.

“Even if it was growing right in the middle of a battleground with arrows falling all around,” she continued. “I would go and get it. When I think about it like that, I can go anywhere.”

JaeHa sighed, shaking his head. “Your legs are shaking.” He called out, pausing slightly as she seemed to freeze. “… Is it frightening to lose someone?”

Yona froze again.

“It is. That is the most frightening thing of all. Seeing people who have lost someone cry is frightening, too.”

He felt a smile form on his face as he watched her. What a desire that was allowing her to continue forward. She reminded him of the stupid pirates. At least those idiots were strong, and thus were better off. Yona, on the other hand…

“Her steps are becoming more dangerous,” he muttered, chewing his lip slightly. “I can’t look…”

She seemed to sway towards the ocean, letting out a squeal of shock before falling towards the rock again, shaking slightly.

“… JaeHa? How long will you be following me?”

He froze at the question, looking at her in shock. “Eh? Oh, well… Until about halfway…”

“You’re looking out for me.” Yona paused in her steps, turning her head to give him a smile, causing JaeHa to nearly freeze in surprise. “Thank you.”

He cleared his voice, shaking his head slightly. “Just so you remember, I can’t lend you a hand.”

“Yes, but… Hearing your voice close by is calming me down,” she replied, taking a deep breath before continuing forward. “You just being there… I wonder why?”

He wondered why he wanted to hear those words come from her. He forced back the desires of wanting to take in the feeling of her voice and presence, even more than when he had met her.

It was probably the dragon’s blood in him that wanted it. There was no other explanation for such a feeling. The blood of the Green Dragon sure was a burden.

“Well then,” he muttered, glancing at the path in front of him, realizing just how narrow it had become. “This is as far as I can go. From here on out, it gets more narrow and I can’t go. Only you’ll be able to.”

He watched Yona nod at his words, continue forward until she made a turn, vanishing from his sight. She must have gotten to the tiny cave that held the senjusou, he reasoned, forcing himself to take a deep breath as he waited, listened for any sound of her voice indicating that she made it to her destination.

Her voice never made it to him, causing him to grow worried.

“Yona, did you find it?” He called out, pressing his back tightly against the cliffs wall, waiting to hear her respond.

“Yes!”

Relief washed through him.

There was a shift in the air, causing a sense of unease to form in the pits of his stomach.

“Yona, are you okay?” He asked, forcing himself to remain calm.

“Y… Yes!” She replied.

He heaved a sigh of relief, relaxing only slightly.

“JaeHa, run!”

He frowned at her words, realizing at the last moment the huge wave that had crashed along the path, no doubt crashing against the cave where Yona was. Fear gripped at him as he watched the water slosh towards him, drench him as he yelled in shock, stumbling backwards at the intensity.

He crouched, shaking his head as he steadied himself, looking at the edge where the wave had collided against at first.

“Yona… Yona?!”

He got no reply.

 

* * *

 

Zeno watched as Captain Gi-Gan seemed to freeze, turning her attention to look out at the sea. He bit his lip, fearing what she could say.

“What’s wrong, Captain?” Kija asked, walking over slowly, attempting to see what she was looking at so intently.

The older woman remained silent, taking a deep breath before replying to the dragon.

“The sea has become rough,” she told him, watching the water.

“Huh? Really?” The white dragon asked again, narrowing his eyes at the calm water.

“I can’t see how it’s changed,” Yoon muttered, stepping over with a frown.

Zeno felt his body grow numb, forcing himself to remain calm. If the captain of a ship was saying the sea was becoming rough…

“At this rate,” Gi-Gan continued, lifting her pipe to her lips, sighing softly. “That girl will be in trouble if she doesn’t hurry up.”

Zeno froze at her words, dread flowing through his veins. Without a moment of hesitation he turned quickly, racing off the ship, praying to the dragon gods Yona was safe. He ignored Yoon’s voice, ignored the voices that told him to get back to the ship.

He had to get to Yona’s side.


	19. On my Own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Cynic, as always, best beta reader ever~  
> Also, that god damn honey scene was just as bad to read a third and fourth time as I had to... Ugh....

“Yona!”

Perhaps if he kept yelling she would reply. If he was loud enough she would hear him over the sound of the waves, over the sound of the wind blowing against the cliff. And yet now that he realized it, it was high tide. There would be no helping her if she fell from here.

“Yona!”

A moment of clarity entered his mind, the dragon rushing forward, leaping off the cliff with ease as he launched himself towards the small cave, grabbing onto a vine to catch himself. He looked around, praying that he would be able to spot her, praying for any visible sign that she was safely tucked away in the cave with the senjusou.

And yet he couldn’t find her at all.

“Good God,” he muttered, feeling his heart race. “She was so close, too…! I couldn’t save her… I couldn’t help such a feeble girl…!”

He landed on the cliff's edge, forcing himself to calm down, forcing himself to think. She fell. She must have fell, it was the only thing that could of happened, must have happened. He studied the waves crashing against the cliff, lifting his hand to pull his jacket undone, determined to find the girl and bring her to safety.

“…Ha…”

That was her voice. He spun around, listening intently, determined to find her. He could never go back to the ship and face those bothersome dragons if their king had died. He would run as fast as he could from this place and never return, would run from them out of shame. What dragon warrior would he be then?

“JaeHa….”

He froze, realizing where the voice must be coming from, turning his attention to over the edge of the cliff he was standing on. Upon looking down he spotted the redheaded girl clinging to a vine, holding on for dear life. She was safe, for now, but the next wave that came crashing in would knock her into the ocean to a certain death. He planned to reach her before that next wave could.

“Yona!” He exclaimed, leaning over the edge. He wondered if he’d be able to reach her from here. Probably not. He’d have to jump.

“Guh…”

“Are you okay?!” He asked, watching as she struggled to pull herself up. “I’ll help you now, just hold still!”

“No…!”

He stared down at her in confusion, watching as tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head quickly.

“If I get help now, the promise I made to Captain Gi-Gan will be…”

“A girl like you…”

He froze, looking up just as a wave came dangerously close to crashing into them, the man spending no time to think, instead leaping forward, pulling Yona up to safety as he held her tightly against him, leaning right against the cliff's wall for support. He watched as the wave receded, feeling himself sigh with relief with the knowledge that he got to her in time. She was stiff in his arms, perhaps suddenly startled that he had grabbed her from nowhere. He studied her face, letting go of her only once he was satisfied she was fine.

“JaeHa…”

“You’re seriously one hell of a girl,” he grumbled, rubbing his face. “You’re been making me really nervous up until now.”

“I… Was helped after all…”

He looked at her, frowning. That was all she cared about? She had nearly died, and all she cared about was that she had been helped?

“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea,” he sighed, giving her the most charming smile he could. “It’s a general principle of mine to treat woman with the utmost care.”

Yona laughed, covering her mouth as she smiled, her shoulders shaking slightly.

“… What are you laughing at?” He asked, narrowing his eyes as he studied her face.

“You were willing to jump into the sea to save me,” she smiled, calming after a few moments. “Thank you.”

What a nice smile she had…

“… Keep this a secret from Captain Gi-Gan,” he sighed, once again rubbing his face. The dragon blood in him was riled, was delighted that she was smiling, and it was showing too much.

How troublesome.

“Eh?! But…”

“That senjusou is something you retrieved using your own strength. And you protected it. Therefore, you kept your promise you made with Captain Gi-Gan. What I did was just a bonus. You don’t need to tell the captain.”

He shifted his weight to get up, stretching his arms slightly before fixing his jacket, listening to the waves far below crash against the cliff.

“I still haven’t completely fulfilled it.”

He froze, turning to look at Yona as she got up slowly, clenching her hands in fists with a deep breath. Her legs were shaking again, and yet her resolve seemed as solid as a rock as she looked up at him.

“I need to take this and return to where everyone else is. And you are not allowed to help me accomplish this.”

 

* * *

 

Zeno stood frozen as he overlooked the cliff. He could sense Kija had fainted, ShinAh having to catch him in surprise. Yoon had an expression of panic as well, or perhaps more filled with dread. Zeno couldn’t tell.

Instead, he stared at the cliff's narrow path, studying it intently for any sign of life.

“Hey…” Yoon’s voice was shaky, filled with dread that the entire group felt. Zeno glanced at him briefly, watching as the boy slowly turned his head to look at Gi-Gan. “The senjusou grows in this type of place…?”

“I said it was a steep cliff, didn’t I?”

“It’s too steep!” Yoon yelled, turning his attention back to the cliff. “This is too much! The sea is rough, and the raging winds could have blown her away!”

“I am going down to help her.” Kija must have recovered from fainting, that was his voice.

“Wait.”

Everyone froze, turning to look at Gi-Gan as she continued to study the cliffs edge, lifting her pipe to gently tap her lips in thought. “That girl took on this job to earn my trust. Do you all want to tread on her resolve?”

“But if we do not do something…”

“Yona is just a girl, isn’t she?!”

Zeno watched as Gi-Gan turned on them, giving the two of them the darkest glare he had ever seen in his exceedingly long life. Perhaps the only glare that could rival it would have been Abi’s when dealing with Shuten half the time.

“Even women have times when they must fight,” she told them, “do not underestimate us.”

Yoon fell silent, once again returning his attention to watch the cliff. Zeno could feel Kija’s attention on him, stepping towards him.

“Are you fine with this, Zeno?”

He remained quiet, ignoring Kija’s question. It wasn’t that he was fine with it. The dragon blood in him was screaming to go and help Yona, and he was sure it was doing the same to Kija as well. ShinAh at the very least could see what was happening.

And Yona had JaeHa with her. Ryokuryuu, no matter how he felt about the dragons and the king, would never let Yona fall.

“Zeno! Answer me!”

He ignored him.

“Yona…”

Zeno turned around to pat Yoon’s shoulder, giving him a bright smile. “Lad, the miss is with Ryokuryuu. Zeno has faith in Ryokuryuu. She’ll come back to us safe and sound.”

“Says the dragon that ran off the ship faster than you could even say his name!”

“Listen, Lad, Zeno may have faith in Ryokuryuu but the dragon blood of Ouryuu does not.”

Yoon huffed slightly, Zeno returning his gaze to the cliff, forcing himself to take a deep breath. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted ShinAh’s mouth open, the blue dragon taking a step forward automatically at something he saw.

He must have spotted them.

It took Yoon a moment before he spotted them as well, the younger boy screaming Yona’s name as he ran forward to greet her, pulling her into a tight hug just as she stepped off the cliff's path. It was a good thing that JaeHa was behind them to prevent them from falling.

“Yona!”

“You all came!” She smiled, hugging Yoon back as she glanced around, a weak smile on her face. Zeno frowned in confusion, tilting his head to the side as he registered the pouch in her hand.

It was full, why did she look so upset?

“Where is the senjusou?” Gi-Gan asked, holding her hand out towards Yona, watching her with a neutral expression. Yona seemed to jump, detaching herself from Yoon before holding the bag out to the captain.

“Right here.”

“Indeed it is,” Gi-Gan muttered, taking the bag and opening it with a curious look. “Then did you keep your promise…?”

“No.”

Zeno turned to look at her, as did the majority of the group that had followed him earlier. JaeHa had his back to her, only turning to look at her in shock as she spoke.

“I received help from JaeHa.”

“Yona! I told you-!”

“A big wave suddenly came and almost threw me out to sea,” Yona explained, speaking over JaeHa’s voice. “JaeHa rescued me. I wasn’t able to use my own strength.”

“… Does that mean you’re giving up?”

“No.” Zeno watched Yona’s face change, once again full of determination as she turned towards the cliff again. “I’ll go get it again, by myself.”

“Yona don’t!”

She made one step towards the cliff's path before Gi-Gan began to laugh, startling just about everyone. Yona turned to face her again, confusion lighting her eyes.

“If JaeHa had stood by and let a girl fall into the sea and die, I would have thrown him into the sea myself!” She laughed, shaking her head in amusement.

“How terrifying…” JaeHa muttered, stepping away from Gi-Gan. “That’s why I love you, Captain.”

“Your eyes are red,” Gi-Gan continued, ignoring JaeHa’s comment. She stepped forward, cupping Yona’s face in her hand as she studied her with a proud smile. “You cried a great deal, didn’t you?”

“Salt water just got into my eyes!”

“And your hands are injured, and your legs are wobbly. You have guts, don’t you?” Gi-Gan released Yona, the girl standing still as she watched the captain in shock. “People like you never abandon their comrades, even when they’re facing danger. I don’t dislike idiots like that. Get on the boat.”

“Huh…?”

Zeno watched JaeHa step forward, gently ruffle Yona’s hair a bit. “Yona, you’ve been accepted.”

There was a thunderous cheer from the captain’s crew, each of them running forward to congratulate her.

“Do not touch her with your dirty hands!” Kija yelled, rushing to the girl's rescue and pulling her free, giving each of the men a dark glare. Yona laughed.

Zeno stepped away from everyone, feeling himself finally relax and sigh in relief.

“You must be pretty close to that girl to make that kind of face, Ouryuu.”

He jumped, looking up to see JaeHa walk over, the dragon giving him a sincere smile. Zeno chewed on his lip, studying his face with an amused grin.

“What about you, Ryokuryuu?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. “Zeno thinks your face has aged just about ten years.”

“Eh? That can’t be. Really?” JaeHa pulled a mirror from the folds of his jacket, gently patting his face as he studied his reflection. “My God, just from that? I think she shortened my life span as well, she was so determined not to back down…”

“Ryokuryuu sure put in a lot of effort. Does this mean you want to be our ally now?”

“There’s no way,” JaeHa laughed, shaking his head. “I always go to great lengths for girls. But… She’s a first. Her pure stubbornness, and her staggering footwork worried me a great deal. It was too much! I can’t imagine what it’s like for the guy who guards her.”

“It’s not so bad,” Zeno replied, tapping his chin. “Zeno doesn’t mind it. And the miss is very capable of guarding herself, just as well. Zeno doesn’t have to worry too much. The blood of Ouryuu, though, makes Zeno worry a lot.”

“She’s very special, then, is what you’re saying? Or are you a puppet to the dragon blood flowing through your veins?”

“Hmm, how should Zeno put this…? Zeno has been waiting a long time for the miss, you see…” Zeno muttered, shaking his head quickly. “She is very important to Zeno…”

“Like your lover?” JaeHa asked, laughing slightly.

“No, no! Zeno told you! The miss is very important person that he’s promised to keep safe!”

“Oh? Well, I see…”

“Eh?”

“Well, you see it’s like this.” JaeHa muttered, grinning a bit as he looked at Zeno. He crossed his arms in thought, tapping the crook of his elbow as he appeared to contemplate something. “At a very quick glance, you two seem close. It was apparent on the ship, during the captains practice brawl with you. You fought as a team, and yet both you and that girl fought together. It’s adorable, really. And yet, as close as you two seem to be, there seems to be some hesitation on your end. I wonder why?”

“Oh, Ryokuryuu is being bold,” the yellow dragon muttered, rubbing his neck a bit with a frown. “What makes him say all of that?”

“I wonder that myself, actually. The last thing I want to do is become allies and follow you children, but perhaps maybe I’ve taken an interest in the girl.”

Zeno froze, turning to glare at the other.

“Kidding,” JaeHa laughed, stepping away quickly. “I’d rather not be with the master of the four dragons. How cliché! Your face, however, was rather adorable.”

“Zeno is in the right mind to punch you, Ryokuryuu!”

JaeHa jumped out of Zeno’s reach, his laugh filling the air. “I’d like to see you try and catch me, kid!”

He huffed, crossing his arms in annoyance as he watched the dragon jump off, towards safety. He would have to keep an eye on him, especially when he was near Yona, especially for his own sanity.

 

* * *

 

Now that Yona was thinking about it, she should have asked for Yoon’s help. Instead, here she was sitting on the cliff overlooking Gi-Gan’s boat, picking at her hands with a needle. She picked at her skin, wincing slightly as the needle dug into her flesh, trying to pull the thorn out. Yona muttered curse after curse under her breath as she poked herself, biting her lip enough that it began to bleed.

“Miss?”

She jumped in shock as Zeno walked over, eyeing her in confusion. He sat down beside her, stretching his arms as he gazed at the vast ocean.

“What are you crying about, Miss?”

“I-it’s nothing,” she muttered, shaking her head. Zeno eyed her, leaning over to carefully grab her hands, her eyes growing wide. “Ow, ow Zeno that hurts!”

He studied her hands, his eyes widening as he slowly looked up at her confused. “What happened?”

“When I went to pick the senjusou a lot of thorns became embedded in my hands…” She muttered, pulling her hands free. “I heard I could get them out with a needle…”

“Ah, Zeno’s heard of that! But Zeno has to wonder, with the wounds on the miss’s hands… Is she grinding and gouging them out…?”

“It hurts really badly, but I can’t get them out…!”

Zeno sighed, getting up while dusting his clothes off. “Miss, clean those wounds up, okay? Zeno knows the perfect thing to pull the thorns out!”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Zeno will show you, Miss! We need to find the lad’s bag, though. He has honey, right?”

“I think so…” Yona muttered, getting up to follow him, sighing heavily. “I should have asked Yoon, but he’s busy making food…”

“Zeno will bet the lad won’t mind so much if Zeno dug around in his bag, especially since this is an emergency,” the dragon hummed, spotting the bag on the ground before snatching it up, rummaging through it. “Zeno could have sworn he saw the honey jar in here… Ah! There it is!”

“Why honey, anyway…?”

Zeno grinned as he grabbed Yona’s hands carefully, opening the jar and pouring the honey over them.

“Eh?! What are you doing? That’s a waste!”

“Well, if you put this on the area for a while,” Zeno grinned, giving Yona the brightest look he could, “the thorns will come on their own.”

“Really?”

“Yes! Zeno learned this a long time ago from a friend,” he explained, his grin only growing wider, a pleased look crossing his face. “She was always getting thorns stuck in her hands.”

Yona smiled, nodding her head slowly as she studied her hands. “… Say, Zeno…”

“Yes, Miss?” The dragon replied, letting go of her hands and recapping the honey, setting it back in the bag.

“Do you think I became a little stronger?”

“Of course, Miss! The miss was already so strong when we stepped on the pirate ship! She just became even stronger!” Zeno enthused, giving her a wide grin. Yona smiled in response, feeling herself almost overflow with pride.

“Good. I’m glad. I’m going to keep becoming stronger, Zeno! Just watch me!”

“Ah hah, Zeno looks forward to that!” He cheered, clapping his hands together.

She grinned, nodding before turning to head back to the ship. “You’ll help me continue to grow stronger, right?”

“Of course, of course! Zeno promised!”

She smiled brightly, watching as Zeno got up as well, gathering Yoon’s bag before she took off, humming to herself. After a moment she threw her hands in the air, staring at the honey on her hands, taking in a deep breath of the salt air as she studied them. Absently, she poked at a thorn, scratching at it with a slight huff.

“Princess?”

She jumped as she looked up at Kija as he approached, the dragon quickening his pace as he pulled her into a tight hug, sighing slightly in relief.

“What is this all of a sudden?” Yona laughed, wrapping her arms around his waist in an attempt to hug him back.

“I’m sorry, princess. I’m just thankful you’re relatively safe,” Kija muttered, letting her go to survey her. “It was nerve wracking waiting on that ship for you to return. Zeno took off, actually, after the Captain stated the sea was becoming rough. I’m sure he’s glad you’re safe too.”

“I was fine,” she huffed, crossing her arms as she watched him look taken aback. “I would have managed just fine if JaeHa hadn’t helped me, either.”

“He claims you were almost tossed to sea.”

“I could have pulled myself back up though!”

Kija fell quiet, looking at Yona with wide eyes. She huffed softly, hunching her shoulders as she stared at him, tapping her foot.

“It’s true.”

“You’re amazing, Princess,” Kija replied, laughing as he shook his head. “Oh, that’s right. Yoon finished cooking, he wanted me to come fetch you, and Zeno if I could find him.”

“Zeno is right here!” The yellow dragon cheered, rushing up suddenly, startling Kija. “Zeno was hiding. Did Hakuryuu seriously not see him? That’s funny!”

“Don’t do that!” Kija yelled, huffing with indignation. “You scared me! How do you hide your presence so well?!”

“Zeno has had years of practice!” The dragon explained, nodding his head. Yona watched him frown, tilting his head to the side. “By the way, Hakuryuu said that the lad finished cooking? Is it time to eat yet?”

“Yes!” Yona cheered, grabbing Zeno’s wrist before dragging him off, humming in excitement. “Time to eat, time to eat!”

They raced off towards the ship, Kija just behind them calling at them to slow down. By the time they reached the ship, Yoon was dishing out bowls of soup, handing one to Yona without even a glance. She grinned, taking the bowl before sitting down on the deck, digging in.

“Oh gosh, Yoon, it’s delicious…!” She cheered, scooping more out of the bowl and eating it quickly, humming in delight. Zeno sat beside Yona as she continued to dig into the bowl, poking at the contents himself before digging in.

“Of course,” Yoon huffed, carefully waving a ladle around as he overlooked a simmering turning to give the girl a proud grin. “It’s my pirate deluxe seafood soup! With all these fancy ingredients, there’s no way it wouldn’t be good. Actually, I’ll teach you how to make it, Yona.”

“Really?!”

“Hakuryuu thinks it’s good, too, right Hakuryuu?” Zeno asked, turning to look at the white dragon, nearly choking on laughter at the other's expression.

Kija held a crab claw in his chopsticks, staring at the crab with a look of terror on his face. “W-what kind of bug is this?!” He asked, shaking it slightly.

“That’s crab!” Yoon yelled at him, stomping over in annoyance. “You crush up the shell and eat the meat inside! It’s not a bug! Honestly, watch and learn from Zeno and ShinAh! Those two will eat anything!”

To prove Yoon’s point Zeno lifted his bowl up, slurping up the soup with a flourish. ShinAh himself was eating eagerly, most likely swallowing without actually chewing.

“This is really good, kid!” One of the pirates, Rowan if Zeno had been right, cheered, giving Yoon a thumbs up. “Come be my wife!”

“No way. Not to a rogue who has no job,” Yoon grumbled, shaking his head.

“Zeno demands that the lad stay with them! The lad’s cooking is much better than Zeno’s, we would die without the lad!” Zeno added, an expression of panic crossing his face. Yoon laughed, nodding his head as he turned away.

“Well, you heard it from Yellow’s mouth. I’m too necessary to this group of idiot’s survival. By the way, does anyone know why my honey seems a bit lighter than before?”

“Zeno had to use a little to help get some thorns out of the miss’s hands,” Zeno commented, watching as Yoon frowned before nodding.

“Ah, alright then. You should have asked me, first.”

“The lad was cooking.”

Yona smiled as they talked, shifting her weight to get up and grab another bowl, pausing to glance over at Gi-Gan, the older woman leaning over the edge of the ship lost in thought as she smoked her pipe. She took a deep breath, carrying the bowl over to the captain with a bright smile.

“Captain Gi-Gan,” she greeted, smiling as the woman turned to look at her. “Here’s some food.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Gi-Gan took the bowl carefully, cradling it in her hands before accepting the chopsticks from Yona. The princess watched as Gi-Gan slowly took a bite of the soup, chewing the food thoughtfully.

“Isn’t it delicious?” Yona asked, smiling brightly. “Yoon made it. Yoon is good at everything!”

“Really?”

Yona nodded with a smile, clapping her hands together. “Yes! Yoon is amazing!”

Gi-Gan chuckled softly, taking another bite of the soup. “… It seems with the senjusou you brought back our comrades are recovering.”

Yona turned to her in surprise, tilting her head to the side. “That’s great!”

“Yes, it is.” Gi-Gan agreed, smiling. “They’re all grateful to you.”

They fell silent, the captain continuing to eat as Yona stretched her arms, humming a song that had managed to get stuck in her head.

“… I don’t want any more victims to come out of this.”

Yona paused, turning to Gi-Gan with a confused expression. “Have people died…?”

“Yes.” Gi-Gan confirmed, sighing heavily as she leaned against the rails of the boat, gazing out at the water. “They’re pirates after all. It’s impossible for any of them to come out unharmed. When this fight ends, I’ll break up the pirate crew. I want them to return to their normal lives.”

“Really?” Yona asked, watching the captain with awe.

“There’s just… One who will be a challenge.”

“A challenge?”

“It’s JaeHa.”

Gi-Gan pulled her pipe free from where she had stashed it, lighting it as she thought. “This boat is his home. With his monstrous existence, this is the coziest place for him.”

“Then… JaeHa will be alone when the pirates are disbanded?”

“Heh… You’ve come to take him, haven’t you?”

Yona froze for a moment, nodding her head slowly. “… I want to, but he said he didn’t want to leave with me.”

“He still can’t leave the nest, huh?”

“That’s not true, captain.”

The two looked up in shock as JaeHa sat just above them, his legs crossed as he leaned his arm against the rail he sat on, humming to himself.

“I really prefer being on my own,” he told them, gently tapping his foot in an invisible rhythm. “When the pirates disband, I’ll just set out on my own. What will happen to me if I start hanging out with those monstrous dragons?”

He laughed softly, shaking his head as he shifted his weight to stand up. “I would consider it if it were just Yona and I traveling together. Oh, but… Babysitting wears me out. Maybe I would do it if you were a little older.”

“You’re a bully, just like Hak was!” Yona huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance. She turned to stomp off, back to Zeno, shifting her weight to sit down.

“Zeno is to assume the talk with Ryokuryuu did not go well?”

“No. He’s a tease, just like Hak.”

“Ah, the mister that was the miss’s body guard, right?”

Yona turned to him in confusion, watching as he continued to slurp at his food. How did he know that?

“ShinAh, what’s wrong?”

She looked up at Yoon’s voice, spotting the dragon as he seemed to stare at something in confusion, getting up slowly and walking over to the edge of the ship. Yona nudged Zeno’s shoulder, the boy looking up as well with a confused frown, shifting his weight to go see what the other was looking at.

“Boats…” ShinAh muttered, lifting his mask enough to see clearly. “Boats have gathered at the harbor…”

“How many, Seiryuu? Zeno can’t see any.”

“Seven…”

“Seven boats?!”

ShinAh nodded, letting his mask fall back on his face. “People with weapons are on board…”

“That damn Kum-Ji…” Gi-Gan grumbled, shaking her head. “Does he plan on intimidating us? Well, no matter. Gather the brats, JaeHa.”

“Yes, Captain.”


	20. I Will Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to my lovely beta reader Cynic. Amazing amazing~

The light flickered softly in the captain’s quarters, JaeHa hanging back as Gi-Gan spread a map out on the table, watching as her eyes seemed to darken.

“Kum-Ji is probably planning to go through with a large-scale trafficking deal soon,” she began, clicking her tongue sharply in disapproval. “The recipient will most likely be the Kai Empire.”

“The Kai Empire?” Yona asked, leaning forward, her eyes growing wide in shock. JaeHa noted how Kija and Yoon seemed to be just as shocked as the girl, ShinAh looking… Rather stoic in his mask, and Zeno’s expression unusually serious. How odd, he was growing accustomed to them already.

“Although it’s the Kai Empire,” JaeHa explained, crossing his arms as he sighed a bit, the girl turning to look at him. “They are close to Awa, and Kum-Ji has clients there.”

“Kum-Ji has been slowly building up manpower,” Gi-Gan added, shaking her head. “Perhaps it’s because the upcoming transaction is of utmost importance to him… And also so he can finally crush the pirates who have confronted him all these years…”

Gi-Gan face had an usually somber expression as she spoke, sighing softly to herself before picking up her pipe, gently tapping it against her lips in thought. “If shots are fired from the harbour, the people living in the area will end up getting hurt. So, we will attack Kum-Ji’s boat instead.”

She tapped the map, dragging the pipe across it as she fell silent, most likely picking out the words. “The deal will go down in the middle of the ocean between Awa and the Kai Empire.”

“The problems is we don’t know when it will be carried out,” JaeHa added, chewing his lip slightly, staring at the map. “As well as which boat the girls will be on.”

“The brat is right. Kum-Ji will have people at the dealing that can be used as hostages…” Gi-Gan replied, shaking her head. “If we recklessly attack the boats, the people being sold will get mixed up in the fight. On the other hand… The girls will be taken to the Kai Empire if we stand by and do nothing. Is there any other way to ensure the safety of those women…?”

“But the possibility of Kum-Ji being there for this important deal is high, right?” Ryou stated, nearly slamming his hand on the table. “Finding him and stopping him ought to be quick for us, right? After all, this time we have allies backing us up!”

“… Do what you want, but we still need a little more information,” Gi-Gan sighed, shaking her head as she turned around, lifting a sheathed dagger from its perch. “For us, this is the perfect opportunity. We will beat down Yang Kum-Ji and those damn officers who have oppressed the people of Awa and have corrupted this town for more than ten years, no matter what it takes.”

JaeHa watched as she gripped the sheath, clenching her hand around the hilt before pulling the dagger out, inspecting the blade.

“We will restore freedom to this town.”

She brought the blade down, embedding it in the wood, stabbing the map. He watched Yona jump from the corner of his eyes, the rest of the crew shifting their weight to nod slowly in agreement.

“This time, I too will take up my blades. Follow me until the very end, you brats!”

“Yes!”

 

* * *

 

Yona was amazed by Captain Gi-Gan. She motivated her crew. She didn’t want to force anyone to fight, and yet the entirety of the pirates understood Gi-Gan. They’ve gathered the courage to keep living.

She pressed her hands together, tapping her chin as she walked around the boat, thinking heavily.

“I want to do something for these people,” she muttered, spotting the others take off to do some work, to prepare themselves for the battle. “I want to see the real Awa once it’s become better…”

Some of the crew was trying to move food rations, to lighten the boats load. Yona clapped her hands together as she rushed forward, determined to help. She was going to pull her weight.

“Ah, Yona it’s okay!” Someone had yelled as she attempted to pull up a heavy sack of rice, groaning slightly with the effort.

“You can take a break!” Someone cheered, rushing past her with Kija, the white dragon instantly scooping up the pack of rice with a flourish.

“Right!” He agreed, giving Yona a proud smile. “Leave this task to me, Princess!”

“You’re amazing lifting all this weight with just one hand!”

They took off again, leaving Yona alone as she looked around, chewing on her lip a bit.

“Z… Zeno?” She called out, walking off the boat to search for the yellow dragon, spotting him with ShinAh, the duo sparring with several of the other pirates.

“Seiryuu, let’s show them how we dragons fight!”

“… Okay…”

She paused, watching them turn to each other, the sound of clashing metal sharp against her ears. The crew all paused, watching the two with eager nods. Perhaps she wasn’t needed here. Yona turned around again, sighing as she looked around for Yoon.

“Why aren’t you being careful with the old geezer over there?! You’re seriously going to kill him!”

Perhaps Yona would just get in Yoon’s way. He was busy, after all. She wasn’t ready to help him take care of other patients. He may claim she was improving in her skills, but she didn’t quite think she was there just yet.

Everyone was busy helping out. They were busy proving their skills to everyone, proving they can help fight. What could she do?

“Yona.”

She jumped in surprise, watching as JaeHa approached her.

“I’m going to check out the town,” he stated, giving her a smile. “Do you want to come along?”

She nodded quickly, giving him a bright smile. “Yes!”

“Great! Hold still, let me pick you up.”

Yona froze, staring at him in shock. “… I beg your pardon?”

JaeHa sighed. “The power of Ryokuryuu is, when you get down to it, flight. I can jump to great heights, or did you forget since yesterday? I jump into town, and to do so I would need to carry you, if you’re okay with it.”

“Oh, right, right. Of course, then, don’t drop me!”

He laughed as he darted over, quickly scooping Yona up. “Hold on tight, then!” JaeHa warned her, waiting for the girl to grab his shoulder before shifting his weight, easily launching them in the air. Yona gasped at the sudden motion, clinging to him tightly as he shifted his weight to land on a tree branch, taking off again just as quickly.

“Wow!” She exclaimed. “Amazing! So Ryokuryuu is the one who can fly through the sky? We’re flying, right?”

“Actually, I’m jumping,” JaeHa laughed, shaking his head as he landed again, leaping off quickly again. “Are you alright being up this high, Yona? I should have asked before we took off…”

“Yep!”

“Even though you were scared on the vanishing cape?”

Yona huffed slightly, giving him a pout. “I was not scared! But… I guess that was right. It was strange… But I could feel you close by the whole time… Being near you is relaxing!”

JaeHa fell silent, not entirely looking at her.

“… The blood of the dragon is seriously annoying.”

“Huh?”

Eventually Awa came within sight, JaeHa’s mouth forming into a grin as he landed on a building’s roof, gently setting Yona down as she looked around in sheer delight. After a moment she felt a hand on her head, forcing her down.

“Hide!”

She let out a startled cry, obeying to the dragons command, ducking down quickly, confusion sprouting in her mind. “What is it?”

“It’s Yang Kum-Ji.”

A cart was being pulled along the road below, Yona’s eyes growing wide as she stared at it. The windows were completely covered, and yet in a slight breeze one of the curtains fluttered away, revealing the face of the town’s lord.

His face left her blood running cold.

“Looking from above you can tell there’s something twisted about this town,” JaeHa commented, watching as the cart pulled away, the older man sighing in relief. “Women and children hide in their homes when Kum-Ji comes around.”

“It’s horrible…”

She glanced at the street, feeling herself slowly relax as the Lord turned down a different corner, vanishing from sight. She shifted her weight, rubbing her neck as she continued to look, spotting a person who seemed to tremble in an alley.

“JaeHa, there’s a person over there…”

“Ah? Oh, so there is. Hold on, Yona, we’re going down.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist, shifting his weight to push them off the roof, flying through the air before landing on the street below. He led her over to the person, the closer they got the more the person seemed to tremble as they tried making themselves look smaller and smaller.

“What’s wrong?” JaeHa asked, watching as the person jumped in shock.

“Are you not feeling well?” Yona added, stepping past JaeHa to bend over slightly, studying the person face.

“I’m… Fine…” The person muttered, shifting their weight to face away from them. Yona spotted JaeHa stiffen out of the corner of her eyes, stepping forward to grab the person’s hand.

“You’re a girl, aren’t you?”

Yona swatted at JaeHa’s hand, glaring at him. “You don’t just grab someone’s hand, JaeHa.”

“H-how did you know?”

She paused as she turned to the person, her shoulders drooping slightly.

“Dare I say it was because of your scent?”

“Oh no, a pervert.”

Yona nodded her head, frowning slightly. “Ah. So then that’s a pervert.”

“Don’t listen to her Yona!”

She ignored JaeHa, looking at the girl with a frown. “Are you disguising yourself as a man to escape from the officers?” She asked, watching as the stranger nodded her head, sighing heavily.

“Yes…”

“It’s rather unusual to see someone that frightened by the mere greetings of another, though,” JaeHa commented, tapping his chin. “Did something happen? The officers, no, did Kum-Ji do something?”

“I… I don’t know! I don’t know!” The girl panicked, hiding her face as she shook.

“You don’t know?”

“A-… A few days ago, I heard a rumour about a high paying job… And my friend and I entered the store…” The girl muttered, shaking her head. “My… friend is a very beautiful girl… They let us inside, but in the end, they only called my friend to a small room in the back. They told me to go home instead… Before I left, I became a little… Curious… And saw the narrow room she had gone into… It only took a second, but… the floor of the room… it opened up and she was sucked into the darkness below…”

Yona frowned as the girl spoke, watching a look of dread fall over the other's face.

“I-I’m terrible…! I felt confused and left that store, but… She… She hasn’t returned home since… I wasn’t aware of it then… But that shop… Its Lord Yang Kum-Ji’s… I’ve been scared of the officers since then! My best friend- Where is she…?!”

“There’s no mistaking it…” Yona turned to face JaeHa as he began speaking, the dragon tapping his chin in deep thought. “That’s the entrance to the human trafficking camp. There may be a few of them, too.”

“What?! Human… Th… That can’t be…”

“It’s alright, your friend will be safe. She’ll definitely come back.” JaeHa leaned over, gently ruffling the girl’s hair. “You poor girl. You must have been truly horrified. Wipe away your tears, I’ll do something about this.”

Yona tuned him out as he continued to speak, tapping her chin in thought.

There was something she could do, after all.

 

* * *

 

“Ah.”

Zeno paused as ShinAh froze, turning his attention to the sky. It had been a few hours since Yona and JaeHa took to the sky, heading off to survey the town.

And to be honest Zeno was a wreck the moment he felt Yona’s presence grow even slightly distant.

“You're finally back!” Kija stated, rushing over just as JaeHa landed, setting Yona down as the girl dusted her clothes off. “Princess!”

“Hello, Kija, I am back,” she greeted, smiling as the dragon rushed to her. Zeno sighed in relief, turning his attention to JaeHa, watching as he walked over to Gi-Gan.

“We’re back.” He greeted.

“What’s the scoop?” Gi-Gan asked, looking up at him from where she sat.

“Well, Captain, the day of action may be the evening of the day after tomorrow.”

“The day after tomorrow…?”

Gi-Gan sighed, giving JaeHa a curt look. “Your reasons for thinking this are…?”

“Well, we found the shop where people being sold have been gathered,” JaeHa mentioned, shrugging his shoulders. “On the surface it offers high paying jobs to women. But actually, it’s a place that transports women who they think will sell high.”

“JaeHa asked someone to ask an employee about it,” Yona added, fidgeting slightly. “They told us it was a place for young women wanting work, and when he asked how much longer they were hiring for the employee said it will be until noon of the day after tomorrow.”

“So three days from now. At least we have an idea, but Kum-Ji is a greedy man. If there’s high merchandise on the line, he will wait until the very last moment…” Gi-Gan grumbled, shaking her head. “If he’s going to move the boats, it will be in the middle of the night when the sun has set… But we still won’t know which boat the girls will be on…”

“From the boat…”

Zeno turned his attention to Yona, frowning slightly as a sudden dread spun in the center of his stomach.

“If something like a firework is fired,” she continued, the rest of the crew falling into an eerie silence, “from the boat the women are on, will we be able to rescue them a little more quickly?”

“That may work,” Gi-Gan agreed, narrowing her eyes slightly. “But who will fire it?”

“I will.”

The dread in his stomach flared, sending Zeno into a cold panic as he watched Yona’s face change into a determined one, the girl standing tall. He could sense Kija freeze as well, ShinAh stiffen at the girl's words. JaeHa, as much as he denied wanting to work with them, had frozen with shock as well, turning to give Yona a confused look.

“I’ll sneak into the human trafficking camp,” Yona repeated. “I will launch the firework.”

“Yona!” All four of the dragons seemed to say in unison.

“Other than bringing down Kum-Ji, the goal this time is to save the women being sold, right?” Yona asked, ignoring each of them. “We need to quickly find the boat they’re on and take them to a safe place. For that purpose, I will sneak onto the boat and let you know which boat it is.”

“Wait, I’m just a little against this idea,” JaeHa grumbled, shaking his head just a bit.

“Right!” Kija agreed, crossing his arms with a scowl. “Penetrating the stronghold of Kum-Ji and his officers is too dangerous, Princess!”

“I’m against it, too…” Yoon stated, giving Yona a disapproving stare.

Zeno chewed his lip slightly, watching as Yona huffed. He wanted to discourage her as well, to keep her safe, but…

“To launch the firework means you’ll have to carry an explosive onto the boat you’re taken to!”

Yoon got to it before he could, the younger boy stomping over to Yona as he ranted, glaring at her.

“Then, you’ll have to go up on deck by sneaking past the lookouts from within the boat! If they find you, they’ll kill you! It’s absolutely impossible!”

“It will be difficult overall to let your comrades know where you are with a small firework you manage to bring on,” JaeHa muttered, adding to Yoon’s lecture. “To add to it, we may be in the middle of fighting, as well.”

“Well, if ShinAh is there and watching, he should be able to see my signal no matter how far away I am,” Yona stated, the dragon in question turning to look at her with silence.

“I told you, it’s-!”

“The enemy’s number is large,” Yona stated, effectively cutting Yoon off. “We don’t have time to look inside one boat to the next. It will be too late if the women are handed over to the Kai Empire while we’re fighting! To stop that from happening, by going in amongst the women to ensure their safety, that’s a job only I can do, right?”

Zeno remained silent, watching as the girl turned to the captain, her eyes full of determination. How was it that she looked so much like King Hiryuu, despite still being small, still being new to the world?

“Captain Gi-Gan. Please, let me fight, too.”

“Well. If we are to succeed, we must certainly be able to rescue the women.”

“Captain?”

“However,” Gi-Gan commented, pointing a finger at Yona with a wicked grin. “Going in alone is reckless. One other person should sneak in with you in order for the plan to work.”

“I will!”

Zeno nearly laughed, recognizing both Kija and JaeHa’s voices alongside his own, filling the air.

“I was going to say, it has to be someone who can wear female clothing and look feminine.”

“What?”

“This is Kum-Ji’s most important merchandise, after all. If you’re not as beautiful as the other girls, you’ll be turned down at the front gate.”

“I will," came both Kija and JaeHa’s response again, both of them looking determined. Perhaps JaeHa was just intrigued by what sort of women Kum-Ji had gathered.

“Don’t you listen to what people tell you? Are you that impossibly confident? The brawn has decreased by one person this time, at the very least…”

“Well, Zeno thinks both he and the lad could pull it off, Captain,” Zeno commented, giving the woman a bright grin. “Zeno’s very good at disguises, you see."

“Eh?” Yoon stated, turning to give Zeno a sharp glare. “W-wait a minute, Yellow, don't drag me into this!”

“Hmm, well, the kid’s a sharp one, at least. You claimed you could handle gunpowder, didn’t you?”

“Hold on a moment!” Yoon stated, shaking his head. “When it comes to women’s clothes, I definitely wouldn’t lose to the girls around there! But our opponent is a corrupt overlord. I’m still against Yona going, you know that? Even if I, hell even if Zeno joins her, we don’t know whether or not the plan will…”

Zeno watched as his train of thought seemed to vanish, watching as Yoon spotted the look Yona was giving him. Zeno clapped his hands, grinning widely.

“Well… When it comes to handling gunpowder, I’m the only one who can, I guess…”

“Yoon!”

“God, what a pain,” Yoon grumbled, rubbing his head. “I have to prepare things by tomorrow… You can relax, though, Yona. Because it’s a principle of mine to never leave a lost battle.”

“Zeno is excited, Zeno is-!”

“Staying and helping in the fight,” Yona interrupted him, shaking her head. “Yoon and I can do this on our own. I promise.”

“Eh? The miss is sure?”

“Please trust me to do this. I rely on you too much, Zeno. I need to stand on my own two feet.”

The dragon frowned, watching the girl’s expression. “The miss realizes how hard that is for Zeno to accept, right? Zeno did promise to stick super close to the miss, remember?”

“Yes, but I need to do this. Please?”

He sighed, shaking his head slightly. “The miss knows how dangerous this will be to walk into the Lord’s place, right? And nothing Zeno does will get you to let Zeno join, Miss?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, then Zeno guesses he’ll have to train even harder with Seiryuu to make sure he can keep all the enemies at bay!”

“Thank you, Zeno!”

He watched as she took off, most likely to talk to the captain about something. With a sigh he rubbed his neck, shaking his head slightly.

“Guen,” he muttered, turning his attention to the sky with a scowl. “Abi, Shuten, what is Zeno supposed to do in a time like this…? Zeno wants to keep Hiryuu safe, but the miss makes it very hard to do so… He knows she probably feels a responsibility for what the country has become, something she treasured and thought was good wasn’t what she had originally thought… But how is Zeno supposed to protect our king when she wants to do something as dangerous as this…?”

He could hear the chatter of excitement from the pirate crew, a nervous murmur from his fellow dragons.

No response from those he was asking, though.

Not even one from Ouryuu.

How typical.


	21. Only the Pretty Ones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LONG AWAITED CHAPTER 21!! HUZZAH!! Bet you thought I'd never get this out, eh?
> 
> As usual, thank you so very much Cynic for beta reading, you're the freaking best EVER.
> 
> Special thanks to Mitsu for drawing the image at the end of the chapter, as well!

“Thank you.”

Gi-Gan turned to look at Yona in surprise, the older woman sitting comfortably on the deck.

“For what?” She asked, leaning back a bit as the girl sat beside her, staring at her. Yona allowed herself to become comfortable, smoothing out her dress before turning to the captain again.

“For complying with my request,” she stated.

“I only thought it would prove necessary for our plans this time,” Gi-Gan replied, shaking her head a bit. “The girls who have been captured will undoubtedly be terrified and feel hopeless. So you need to protect them.”

“… Alright.”

“The battle this time won’t be so simple on our end, either. I’ve always asked absurd things of them…” Gi-Gan continued, shaking her head as she looked up at the darkening sky, sighing slightly. “Telling them to punish our enemies without killing them, that’s not a very easy thing to do.”

“Don’t worry, Zeno and the others are here.”

Gi-Gan fell silent for a moment, the sounds of the sea filling the air. From somewhere on the deck Yona could hear hushed mutters of the crew, could hear the distant sounds of Yoon yelling at the dragons for something. The waves lashed against the boat gently, the sound filling Yona with such a sense of peace that she could have almost fallen asleep right then.

“You must never throw away your life.”

Startled, Yona looked over at Gi-Gan, the older woman shaking her head slightly with a sigh.

“Because when I took you aboard my boat, you were already like a daughter to me,” Gi-Gan added, frowning to herself. “Going off and dying on your own will not be tolerated.”

She fell silent at Gi-Gan’s words, feeling something stir inside her. Like a daughter? Gi-Gan saw her like a daughter? She didn’t have a mother, hers had died so long ago…

“… What’s wrong?”

She could tell the captain. Couldn’t she? “… I… I don’t remember my mother very well. But when I look at you… And when I listen to your words, that strictness and kindness… Makes me tear up.”

What would it have been like to grow up with her mother? All she could remember was her mother was loving, loved her more than anything. Did she smile often? She couldn’t remember.

“Is it a mother that brings out this kind of feeling?” She wondered, quietly to herself. “It’s nostalgic… And it makes my chest really hurt…”

She felt tears form in her eyes, threaten to take over and consume her. Gi-Gan moved towards her, gently wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Is that what it felt like to have a mother? Such a warm embrace…

After a moment she pulled away, thanking the captain before excusing herself for the night. She had to be pulled together for tomorrow. Tomorrow was when they would put their plan into action.

Tomorrow came far too soon.

Yoon had woken her up, as usual, whispering about how they had to get ready. She groaned as she got up, stretching out her limbs as Yoon threw various articles of clothing at her.

“Ah? What’s this?”

“We made it last night,” Yoon stated, stretching with a sigh as he got up. “It’s a dress, clearly. You can’t go in wearing your normal outfit, after all. Hurry up and change.”

Yona nodded, waiting until Yoon left their tent before she pulled her dress off, pulling on the new one she was given. It was beautiful, she decided, not quite as long as her dresses in the palace would be, but that was because she needed the mobility. The colours worked well together, worked beautiful with her hair and earrings. The girl twirled around once fully dressed, giggling in delight.

She had forgotten what it was like to wear new clothes.

“Yona?”

“Ah, coming! One second!”

She quickly wrapped up her clothes, setting them aside as she fixed her hair, running her fingers through the tangles it now had. A decent brush through would do wonders, she decided, sighing heavily as she stepped out of the tent, stretching her arms with a hum.

“About time,” Yoon stated, shaking his head. “Here’s a brush, your hair could use it. We’ll put some ribbons in your hair to make you look even cuter, that will definitely get us in.”

“Ribbons? Wow, Yoon, you thought of everything!” Yona praised, clapping her hands together before taking the brush, pulling it through her hair quickly. Yoon gave her a grin before vanishing in the tent, returning moments later in full disguise.

“Wow, Yoon!” She gushed, leaning over to inspect him, her smile growing wide. “You look amazing! But your hair, it should be longer. It’ll make you stand out!”

“I was thinking that, I have a wig stored somewhere in my bag for such occasions,” Yoon grinned, taking the brush from her to run it through his own hair. “Alright, some black ribbons to compliment the accent at the bottom of your dress would work, black with little beads to make it cute.”

He set the brush down, quickly reaching for his bag, digging through it. “… Hmm, they’re missing. Perhaps one of the beats took them for something.”

“Lad! Miss!”

They looked up to see Zeno rush over, the dragon stopping short of spotting them.

“Zeno, I told you to go help the others get ready!” Yoon snapped. Zeno laughed, shaking his head as he turned to Yoon, giving the boy a bright grin.

“Zeno knows, Zeno knows, but there was no one out here to keep both the lad and the miss safe, so Zeno came over here instead. Besides, they don’t need Zeno.” The dragon explained. “Zeno was just getting in the way, at least, that’s what Ryokuryuu was saying.”

“You always get in the way. I haven’t fed you yet.”

Yona smiled, watching as the two continued to speak, the dragon laughing at Yoon’s comment.

“True, true, Zeno is useless without food!”

“Zeno, what do you think?” Yona interrupted, the dragon turning to look at her in confusion. She smiled brightly as she twirled around, humming to herself.

“Wow, Zeno thinks the miss looks adorable!” He exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “The miss is so cute! That dress suits you perfectly!”

“You think so?”

“Yes!”

She smiled in delight, clapping her hands together mimicking Zeno. “That’s good! Hopefully they think so, too…”

“Zeno’s sure of it. Speaking of, are you still sure you want Zeno to stay behind, Miss?”

She paused, sighing heavily. Of course not, she thought, keeping her hands tightly pressed together. She wanted to keep him by her side, since she knew he could keep her safe in case something went wrong. It didn’t mean she didn’t trust Yoon, but in case something happened…

“Could you even pass off as a beautiful girl, Zeno?” Yoon asked, cutting Yona off from her train of thought. She watched as Zeno nodded, giving Yoon a bright grin.

“Zeno told you, he is very good at disguises,” he stated, grinning brightly. “Should Zeno prove himself? Zeno was trying to help Hakuryuu, but if the miss and lad want, Zeno could show what he means.”

“Well, that should be interesting, I suppose…”

“Good! Zeno will be back, stay here, stay here!”

They fell silent, watching as Zeno took off.

“Think he’ll actually do it?”

“Yoon, this is Zeno you’re thinking of.”

“… Yup, he’ll do it.”

 

* * *

 

“Yona dear, you’re so cute!”

Yoon watched as Yona seemed delighted at JaeHa's words, nodding her head quickly. He smiled in pride, the ribbons they tied in her hair truly compliment both her and the outfit well. He really was a genius.

“I’ll do my best!” She stated, giving the green dragon a bright grin.

“Good! You pass with flying colours!”

Truthfully, Yoon was still unsure why they had to come aboard the ship. He wanted to get over to that shop as fast as he could, to get past this one hurdle as quickly as possible. He tugged on his hair, on the wig he had on, fidgeting with it in annoyance. It was so itchy, itchier than it needed to be.

He hated it.

“You look great, kid!” One of the pirates cheered, nearly doubling over in laughter. “You could become Kum-Ji’s lover as you are now! You look too good!”

“Damn straight,” Yoon muttered, shifting his weight to place his hands on his hips, standing up straighter. “I can win even passing as a wife with these good looks.”

He would do it, too. He would protect Yona if it was the last thing he did.

“Yoon, where’s the firework?”

Yona’s voice startled him from his thoughts, the boy turning to her with a bright grin plastered on his face. “I’m hiding it in my sash,” he told her, “I tied gunpowder to the end of a wire. Even though it’s small, it’s a special firework that will shoot high.”

“You’re a genius!” Yona declared, clapping her hands together. Yoon gave her a grin, nodding his head.

“Well, then you two should go on with the plan,” Gi-Gan declared, her arms crossed as she evaluated them.

“Okay,” Yona agreed, clapping her hands together as she looked around the boat.

Yoon did the same, taking in a deep breath to settle his nerves. This was it, or it was almost time, at least.

“Well, I’ll be back,” Yona muttered, her voice trailing off as she stared at Kija.

Yoon couldn’t blame her. He was staring too. Kija had decided he… What was he even doing? He was in a nice dress, sure, but his makeup was haphazardly placed on his face, though his hair looked nice. His chest though, was he stuffing in apples? It was very lumpy.

“Don’t you have any more clothes with longer sleeves?” Kija asked, a tone of demanding in his voice as he turned to another of the pirates, the other just looking drained.

“That’s out of our power, man. That hand of yours is impossible to hide.”

“Kija, no.” Yona stated, shaking her head quickly. “You look funny.”

“Damn, if only this hand were a little smaller…”

“That’s not the problem here,” Yoon added quickly, shaking his head. “Your chest is all lumpy. What on earth did you put in there?”

“Yoon.”

He turned to face JaeHa, the dragon looking at him with concern.

“Ah, JaeHa,” he stated, giving him a smile. “When ShinAh tells you about the signal, hurry and come rescue us.”

“Yoon, you look lovely,” JaeHa continued, a frown appearing on his face. “But… Are you okay?”

“About what?”

The moment he said that, though, and Yoon knew he had been caught. He was shaking, true. He was downright terrified to do this.

“… Do you think I’m pitiful?” He asked the dragon, slumping his shoulders a bit. “Yona is so firm, but… All I can do is tremble. But, you know that’s exactly why I’ll be fine…”

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm, to remain collected. “I’m more cautious than anyone, and I live more underhanded than anyone. I can even boast about it at this point. So, JaeHa, I’ll be fine. As long as I’m going, I absolutely won’t let Yona die.”

“Very well, then.”

He turned to Yona, gesturing for her to come over to him. She did, huffing softly in annoyance.

“… I don’t see Zeno,” she stated, puffing out her cheeks. “Where the heck did he go…”

Yoon shrugged, shaking his head. “I don’t know, but we need to get going,” Yoon stated, rubbing her shoulder slightly. “Come on, we have a bit of a walk to get to the shop.”

“Right, right.”

He led her off, waving goodbye to the crew, to the dragons that they were leaving behind. He took a deep breath, worried about how they were going to proceed. He couldn’t handle being turned down, not now. This was crucial to their plan, wasn’t it? He had to believe in himself, in Yona, to do this one simple thing.

“… What if they reject us, Yoon?”

Yoon nearly laughed. “Like they’d reject you, Yona! You’re beautiful! Hell, I’m beautiful! We’ll do this just fine!”

“Yeah, yeah you’re right. You’re always right. I’m just nervous…”

The rest of the walk was in silence, spent mostly on Yoon’s part by trying to calm his nerves, to be the rock of the foundation. Yona was going to keep the girls that had been taken calm, to let them know everything was okay. And Yoon, he was going to set the firework off.

But now that he thought of it, how would he even do that? Assuming they would be taken below the deck for the deal to go down, how would he… Ah, he could worry about it when the time came.

And then the town came in view, the girl taking a deep breath and leading him towards the shop itself. Yoon watched Yona as she seemed to shake slowly.

“Yona…”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Let’s hurry, it’s getting closer to noon.”

He nodded his head, following her quickly. “Right.”

Yoon wondered how Yona did it. How she suddenly seemed so calm as they walked up to the store, the girl reaching forward and pulling the door open with a deep breath.

The inside of the store was brightly lit, with decorations lining the walls. He led the girl in, taking a deep breath as someone walked over, giving them a suspicious look.

“Hello!” Yoon greeted, bowing to the person. He had to be one of the ones that “worked” here. “My friend and I heard we could get work here!”

He noticed Yona bowing from the corner of his eye.

“Hm, you say you want to work here?” The man paused as he looked them over, tapping his chin with a frown. “Hm, well, then I’d like to welcome you. Come right on in.”

The man turned around, gesturing for them to follow him as he led them further into the store. Yoon glanced at Yona, the two grinning in triumph before taking after the man.

It was now or never.

 

* * *

 

She wasn’t sure what she expected, truthfully, when they approached the store. Maybe something that wasn’t this. It was hard to say. She watched the man’s back, forcing herself to remain calm as they continued to walk, being led in a strange maze through the shop.

What did the other girls feel like when they were led off, she wondered, feeling her heart rate pick up in speed, feeling the blood seem to pound in her ears. They didn’t know what fate was in store for them, maybe they were truly excited to get what they were told was a high paying job.

After this is all over, I’d like for there to be a real high paying job for them, she decided, clenching her jaw as she followed, taking another deep breath.

“It’s this room,” the man’s voice seemed to breach her thoughts, gesturing to a door. “Please, wait a little while more in this room.”

He opened the door, waiting for the two to walk in. Yona obliged, forcing herself to ignore her gut instinct to run away. Yet she step forward, into the room that screamed of doom. Yoon followed her quickly, the door closing firmly behind them with a loud bang.

Why are my legs shaking, Yona wondered, reaching towards Yoon and holding onto him. At a time like this, why are they shaking…?

“Yona…”

Whatever Yoon was about to say was cut short as the floor beneath them opened up, swallowing them into the bottomless black pit below. She shrieked, grabbing onto Yoon’s arm as they fell, flashbacks of falling down the cliff returning to her mind.

Zeno wasn’t here to keep her safe.

“Yona hold onto me, don’t worry!” Yoon exclaimed, pulling the girl close to him as they fell, falling for what seemed like hours. It couldn’t have been hours, could it? They must have landed, because a door opened and someone with the darkest look Yona had ever seen was in the doorway, staring down at them.

“Get out.”

Two words. Two words uttered, impatience dripping from them. Yona scrambled up, helping Yoon up quickly, the two looking past the man.

There wasn’t entirely anything beyond him. The man gestured for the two to follow him, leading them through another maze like hall, opening another door at the end of it, looking at them.

“Get in.”

He pushed them in the room, closing and locking the door behind him.

Yona felt sick at what she saw.

The room was full of woman, with various hairstyles and clothing. They all wore the same expression, a look of tiredness and of hopelessness, seeming to ignore the two that came in.

“So this is…” She muttered, feeling her shoulders droop heavily. “I cannot believe this…”

“Ku ku ku, it was a better catch than I thought.”

She froze, turning her head to spot the door open once more, this time the burly man that was Kum-Ji entered, stroking his beard as he studied the group. Yona felt chills go down her spine as she stared at him, biting her lip as she watched his beady eyes trail across the group of women.

“Awa isn’t half bad, either,” the man chortled, a devious grin spreading on his face.

“Lord Kum-Ji, what is going on?” A woman called out, from somewhere behind Yona. Her voice was desperate. “I heard I could find a job here, not…”

“Ku ku, there is a job,” Kum-Ji laughed, shaking his head as he stared past Yona, at the girl that must have spoken. “A very important job. You all need to wait here until tomorrow night.”

“Yona, lie down, stay calm now.”

Yoon’s voice was a whisper, from right beside her. Yona nodded slowly, attempting to take a step back when Kum-Ji reached out, grabbing her hair and pulling her close.

“Red hair,” the lord mused, gripping her hair tightly, ignoring the girl’s cry of pain. “I see, how very unusual. Ku ku, her face is quite beautiful, too. She’ll sell high. No…”

Stay calm, she thought, keeping her eyes squeezed shut. Stay calm, stay calm…

“It would almost be a shame if I sold her. They wouldn’t mind if I took just one to be mine, would they?”

She almost screamed in disgust. No, no she did not want that. And yet, at his words a calm seemed to settle over her, the same sort of calm she felt when the dragons were around her.

It wouldn’t come to that.

“I-I can do better!”

Yoon’s voice was loud, startling Yona from her thoughts. She glanced at him, shocked as he stood up to his full height, an easy smile on his face.

“I can satisfy you better than that woman, Lord Kum-Ji,” Yoon continued.

“Oh?”

“So drop that girl and let me be beside you.”

Never in a million years did she think she would ever hear such words come from Yoon’s mouth.

“Hrrm, you’re right, you’re quite a fine jewel, too.” Kum-Ji stated, leaning forward to study Yoon’s face more closely. “But…”

With a swift kick he knocked Yoon down, sending the boy to the ground. Yona nearly yelled out in panic, yelled out Yoon’s name when the calm returned to her.

“Don’t interrupt me when I’m having my fun,” Kum-Ji stated, glaring down at Yoon. “I despise women who are impudent.”

“Lord Kum-Ji, please stop… You’ll damage the merchandise.”

He kicked the man down, yelling at him as well, his voice loud. “Don’t interrupt me!”

With another moment passed, he rested his foot on Yoon’s head, leaning his weight forward. “Got it? The best women are those that are obedient. If you tremble and keep your mouth shut like this red-haired women, then…”

Yona glared at him, staring at him with all the hatred she had in her. How dare he treat her like a slave, how dare he treat Yoon like garbage.

He released her hair, tossing her aside.

“… Girl, are you from Awa?”

Yona bowed deeply, disgust rising to her throat. She hated bowing to such a hideous man. “… Yes.”

“I went to Hiryuu castle a long time ago, and I saw red hair just like yours once.”

Yona felt her blood run cold.

“It was just for an instant from afar, her hair reflected the light of the sun, the name of that girl with that hair was Princess Yona. You look about the same age as her.” Kum-Ji paused, glaring down at the girl with a malicious grin. “Could it be you…? Princess Yona?”

She took a deep breath, shaking her head as she forced herself to look down at the floor. “… I am the daughter of a poor Awa merchant,” she muttered, trying to piece together a quick lie. “I heard I could find new work here. I don’t know of the princess who has the same red hair as me, but for Lord Kum-Ji’s job, if it would be beneficial for me to become the red-haired princess, I will let you call me so.”

“… You jest too much. Princess Yona would not have unshaken confidence like that in a place like this. She wouldn’t be looking for work, either. A girl like you? A princess?” Kum-Ji’s laugh shook her to her core. “First of all, I heard the princess was kidnapped and murdered by her valet. A humble one such as yourself wouldn’t know that.”

Without another word he left the room, left Yona, Yoon, and all the women who were caught up in such a vile web behind. The door slammed shut, the sounds of a key locking it echoing in the room. Yona turned to Yoon, finally allowing herself to relax as she looked him over quickly.

“Yoon! Yoon are you okay?”

“God!” Yoon grumbled, shifting his weight as he attempted to get up, rubbing his neck with a slight groan. “What was he thinking, kicking a frail girl like that?! What a jackass!”

“It’s good to see you’re okay, Yoon…”

“What about you, Yona?” Yoon asked, giving her a smile. “Your hair was pulled, are you feeling okay?”

“The miss is strong!”

They both froze, turning around to face the owner of the voice, a messy mane of blond hair appearing as a bright smile greeted them.

“No,” Yoon muttered, shifting his weight to sit back, staring in shock. “You have got to be kidding me. Zeno?!”

“Zeno told the lad he was good at disguises!”


	22. Resolutions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. It has been a very long time updating. I am very sorry. But, however, here it is, chapter twenty two, please enjoy~  
> As usual, top credit to Cynic my amazing beta reader~

“Alright, so what was it here that you wanted to drag me to, again?”

Hak crossed his arms as he surveyed the port city below them, narrowing his eyes as the wind picked up, carrying the taste of salt on it. Soo-Won laughed beside him, shifting his weight to get off the horse he was riding as he stared out at the city as well.

“Well, nothing really,” Soo-Won mused, stretching his arms. “This was on our way to Chin’Shin, so I thought we could stop here for a moment. Besides,” the king paused, narrowing his eyes only slightly, “I’ve received a few reports that the Lord is partaking in human trafficking…”

“Ah, so you want to see if that’s true or not,” Hak sighed, nodding his head slowly. “Figures as much.”

If he was being honest, Hak still wasn’t sure what Soo-Won’s goal as king was. He hadn’t said anything. But, with both Yona and Il dead…

He shook the thought from his head, glaring at seemingly nothing. “Well, I suppose we’ll be searching the town, right, Won?”

Soo-Won laughed at the name, nodding his head. “Of course, Hak. There are also rumors of a band of pirates staying around here… If possible, I would like to meet with them.”

“Are you crazy?!”

“No. You see,” Soo-Won smiled, shaking his head as he lifted a hand, tapping his chin in thought. “The rumours are that the pirates attack only Kum-Ji’s ships, and are trying to stop him. So, if possible, I would love to lend them my help.”

“You mean my help, don’t you?” Hak sighed, shaking his head in annoyance. “Fine, I’ll see if I can find their captain.”

“Great! Let us go!”

Soo-Won took off quickly, leading his horse to a tree and tying it up to prevent it from escaping. Hak sighed at the effort, rolling his eyes as he led Soo-Won off, down towards the port city. The wind picked up slightly, no more than a breeze, the man sighing heavily as he looked around.

… The city seemed so dead.

“I wonder what is wrong,” Soo-Won muttered, stepping close to Hak as they wandered the streets. “Everyone seems so…”

”Hollow?”

“Yes…”

The people they passed looked dead in their eyes, despite the cheerful looks plastered on their faces. Hak looked around in suspicion, noting how some people (namely the women) seemed to jump at any sudden noise, how the children stuck close to parents.

“This is no way for a city to behave,” Hak commented, turning his attention to his friend. “Do you see how everyone is on edge?”

“Yes, it must be the Lord’s doing…”

“What about the Lord?”

They jumped, turning around to face a man in strange clothing, his green hair covering one of his eyes. Hak scowled, shaking his fist at the stranger in annoyance.

“How dare you startle us, you bastard!” He nearly yelled, almost leaping forward to punch the stranger in the face. Soo-Won held him back, placing a hand on his shoulder with a studious look.

“We were just wondering if the dead look in the citizens eyes were caused by the Lord of the town,” Soo-Won stated, offering the strange person a smile. “Do you have anything you can tell us about Awa?”

The stranger paused, a frown forming on his face as he looked around quickly, gesturing for the two to follow him.

“It certainly is amazing travelers such as yourselves can pick up on it,” he mused, leading them through the town’s streets. “But yes, you would be correct. If I can find, ah, yes here we go, no one will bother us here.”

Hak froze at those words, looking at the stranger in annoyance. “I am not stepping foot inside a brothel,” he clarified, crossing his arms.

“Now, now Hak, he said no one will bother us here.” Soo-Won grinned, nodding at the stranger. “My name is Won, by the way, and this is my friend Hak.”

“Don’t go telling this droopy eyed bastard my name you idiot!”

The green haired man smiled, nodding his head slightly. “Nice to meet you. My name is JaeHa.”

Hak suppressed a groan as he was dragged inside, Soo-Won chatting quickly with the other, the same annoying smile on his face. He tuned out their chatter, sighing heavily as he adjusted his spear on his shoulder, mumbling something. After what felt like ages they stopped at a room, JaeHa leading them in and gesturing they sit at the table.

“Now,” Soo-Won began, smiling brightly at JaeHa. “Tell us all about this. What can we do to help?”

“You can’t be serious, Won. Already offering our help before hearing this idiot out?”

Soo-Won smiled at Hak’s words, causing him to groan. Of course, he would be serious about this, the light smile on his face causing worry to eat away at Hak's stomach. JaeHa’s face across from him added to the dread, the idiot’s mouth turned up into a smile as well. They were plotting against him, Hak decided, these two idiots who just met were already mentally scheming ways to send him to an early grave.

Perhaps this is what Joo-Doh was warning against when Hak and Soo-Won had departed to Awa in the first place.

It was ridiculous, Hak decided, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. He couldn't believe Soo-Won was suddenly full of life as king. If he was being honest, he was bitter at his friend... How could he have bounced back from such a brief moment of sadness with Emperor Il and Yona's deaths? What right did he have to be so cheerful and positive when their best friend was dead?

“Now, Hak, you have to admit,” Soo-Won began, taking a sip of the tea he was offered. “This is perfect. It will be the quickest way to deal with the Lord of the area. Besides, heading straight to meet with Guen-Tae would take too long, you know that.”

“We have reasons to believe the transaction will be going down tomorrow night,” JaeHa added, folding his hands together and resting his chin on them, his eyes focusing on Hak. “Two, though I suspect three, of my comrades have snuck into the base to keep all the women safe, as well as alert us of their whereabouts tomorrow night. I would prefer not to let this deal go through.”

“Reasonable enough. Are they all women, as well?”

“No, just one. But the fact she went troubles me, even now. That, and her companions she arrived with have been nervous wrecks since she took off earlier today.”

“Sounds tough,” Hak muttered, rolling his eyes. “Are they at least capable of taking care of themselves, as well as everyone else captured?”

JaeHa remained silent, answering Hak’s question.

“Well, at any rate,” he began instead, effortlessly changing the subject. “I will gladly take you to meet my captain. However, I will warn you, she will most likely give you both a test to see if you are trustworthy.”

“A test?” Soo-Won asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. “What sort of test?”

“That, my dear acquaintance, is for you to find out,” JaeHa replied, leaning back in his seat. He smiled, giving the two knowing looks. Hak sighed, shaking his head as he turned to Soo-Won, opening his mouth to attempt to reason how terrible this idea was.

Sadly, Soo-Won’s expression read something else, excitement sparkling in his eyes.

“Sounds good,” the king affirmed, smiling brightly. “Hak and I will take on any test your captain throws our way.”

“Wait a minute, don’t drag me down into this!” Hak groaned, shaking his head in annoyance. “I don’t recall agreeing to any of this!”

“Now, now Hak, do you not want to bask in the attention the women will give you for rescuing them?”

“Don’t you dare speak to me as if we were friends, you droopy eyes!”

“Hak, be nice!” Soo-Won reminded, offering JaeHa another smile. “Please ignore him. He’s been a tad sour since a dear friend of ours passed away.”

“Ah, I apologize,” JaeHa frowned, shifting his weight to get up. “Well, no use delaying this. Please, follow me to the ship.”

 

* * *

 

“How?!”

Zeno laughed at Yoon’s question, shaking his head slightly. “Zeno told you, he was good at disguises! The lad asked for proof, and Zeno showed you the proof!”

He smiled at Yoon’s look of disbelief, turning his attention to Yona. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, taking a step towards him as she looked at him with a frown.

“So that would explain why I felt so calm…” She muttered, lifting his arm up to study the outfit he was wearing. “Wow, Zeno, you look so cute in this!”

“Zeno knows, Zeno knows,” he agreed, giving her a smile. How many times had he felt the need to disguise himself over the past? To become a new person, if only for a few years before having to leave? “Is the miss upset? Zeno broke the promise he made.”

“No,” Yona muttered, taking a moment before throwing her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “No, this is fine… I’m worried about everyone on the ship now, though…”

“Zeno is positive they’ll be okay!”

“How on earth did you even pull this off in such a short amount of time, though, you rare beast?” Yoon demanded, Zeno turning his attention to him. He frowned a bit, gently patting Yona’s head as she refused to let go, humming in thought.

“Well, you see, Zeno was… Going to do this anyway…” He admitted, smiling slightly as Yoon smacked his face, the boy groaning in annoyance. “Zeno made sure everything was ready last night, in case the miss changed her mind last minute. But she didn’t, so Zeno instead decided to sneak along and get into the camp before the lad and miss.”

“You really should be back on the ship helping the others!” Yona stated, letting go of him to give him an annoyed pout. “Captain Gi-Gan needs more people to help her on the ship with the actual battle, Zeno!”

“Zeno is very certain that Hakuryuu, Seiryuu, and Ryokuryuu will be okay,” Zeno replied, giving Yona a bright smile. “They are the dragon warriors, after all! And besides, didn’t Zeno promise to stick close to the miss? He has to make good on that promise, you know. That, and Zeno isn’t very strong, so he wouldn’t be very much help.”

“But still…”

“Zeno is here now,” Zeno interrupted, giving her a bright smile. “There is not much Zeno can do now. Perhaps the miss should speak with everyone in captivity, hmm? They seem to have very low spirits, Zeno knows, he tried cheering everyone up earlier.”

“What makes you think I could do anything…?” Yona muttered, glancing around at the girls surrounding them, their eyes cast downward. Zeno smiled at her, ruffling her hair as he gestured around.

“Perhaps the miss could inspire them?”

He watched as Yona took a deep breath, dusting her clothes off as she looked at the group surrounding them again.

“What’s going to happen to us…?”

“Did you hear what Lord Kum-Ji said earlier about selling…?”

“… Was he talking about us…?”

Zeno watched as Yona’s expression twisted into worry, the girl taking a deep breath as she stood tall. “Excuse me?”

“This wasn’t what I was told! I need to get out of here!” A blond girl nearly screamed, startling Zeno. He watched as the girl raced towards the door, banging on it. He sighed, shaking his head.

He tried that earlier. As much as he trusted the other dragons, he didn’t trust them enough. He had to find any possible way to get them out, to save them.

“It’s impossible,” another girl stated, leaning against the wall. Zeno turned to her, as did most of the girls in the room. Yona frowned, tilting her head as she looked at the older girl.

“Impossible?” Yona asked.

“Yes. I was put in here two weeks ago. Nobody came to get me out,” the girl replied, her voice flat and emotionless. “To Lord Kum-Ji, we’re no different than objects meant to be sold. We’re accessories to him, nothing more.”

“Awa has always been like this…”

Not so, Zeno thought, shaking his head as he crossed his arms. He had been to Awa a few years before Lord Kum-Ji had seized power. Awa was beautiful before, with people more lively than in the capital of Kuuto. It was beautiful then, and now that Kum-Ji has the power…

“Haven’t you ever wanted to change this town?”

Zeno frowned, turning his attention to Yona. Her voice was steady, calm.

“What?”

“Have you ever thought about fighting to overthrow Kum-Ji from this town in order to let everyone live freely?” Yona asked, carefully folding her hands in front of her, her attention focused on the girl against the wall.

“Who are you?” She asked, her expression flattening. “Are you really from this town? The only people who say things like that are outsiders and the strong. Both of whom are downright idiots.”

“Although they’re not particularly strong, I know people who are fighting while risking their lives to change this town,” Yona hummed, smiling. The tone in her voice reminded Zeno of Hiryuu, once again, almost as if he was transported back in time to when his king still breathed.

“I’m currently helping those group of idiots,” Yoon stated, turning to glance at Yona with a grin. “Though, when you think of it, there’s a less competent girl here, too.”

“Who are you speaking of, Yoon?” Yona huffed, crossing her arms.

“You know who.”

“What are you saying? That someone is going to come to help us? There are no idiots like that.”

“You don’t know that!” Zeno interrupted, smiling brightly. “Those idiots are very persistent!”

“And if those you call idiots reach out their hands to help, then please, believe them and take their hands.” Yona had a smile on her face, the other girl falling silent in surprise. “If you want to live, then please, struggle as hard as you can and survive. If you do that, then tomorrow this town will change. I promise.”

Zeno smiled at Yona’s words, nodding his head in agreement. Yona truly was Hiryuu, he thought, feeling his heart swell with pride. The king would be proud of who he had become in his new life, he was sure of it.

 

* * *

 

“What is this.”

Hak watched as JaeHa bowed before an older woman. “Captain Gi-Gan, I brought back more aid for the battle tomorrow night,” he practically purred, glancing up at her with a charming smile. “They appear to be good enough.”

Who on earth are you calling ‘good enough’? Hak wondered, sighing in annoyance. This was a bad idea, he reasoned, a bad idea wrapped up in a blanket of explosive disaster. And yet, no matter how many times he had tried discouraging Soo-Won, the king brushed him off with his stupid smile, saying all was fine.

What did he do to deserve this early grave, he wondered. There was nothing interesting to him here. Why couldn’t he simply be back at Hiryuu Castle, at the moment, without a single care in the world, lounging around and soaking in the warm sun as Yona-

Yona was dead, Hak scolded himself, his blood running cold at the memory of the girl. She was dead. He had failed to protect her, had failed to protect Emperor Il, had failed in his entire responsibility. And now… Now he had to protect Soo-Won, to make sure the same fate didn’t befall on him.

“Well, then JaeHa, round up your companions.”

The captain’s voice startled him from his thoughts, Hak looking up in confusion as JaeHa seemed to sigh in annoyance, shifting his weight to flip his ponytail behind him.

“Captain. I told you many times already. They are not my companions. That, and we believe Zeno went on the infiltration mission without telling us,” the other stated, shaking his head as he rested his hands on his hips. “But, I shall fetch those other two annoyances if-”

“Who are you calling annoyances, JaeHa?”

Hak blink in surprise, turning around to see what had to be the two oddest people he had ever seen in his entire life. The first one, the one who must have spoken, had strange white hair, with an almost entirely white robe (save the blue trim on the edges). The strangest thing about him, however, was his right hand, which was currently scratching at his head.

White scales and claws.

Just like in the legends about the Four Dragons.

“Kija, you know as well as anyone that you are nothing but an annoyance,” JaeHa replied smoothly, quickly stepping to the side as the white individual lunged at him, an annoyed sort of his coming from his mouth.

“Your hand!”

Hak jumped in surprise at Soo-Won’s voice, staring at him in shock. The king’s eyes were wide with fascination as he rushed over to the white haired man, grabbing his hand in surprise.

He smacked his face, shaking his head as he sighed. “Really, Won, you idiot?”

The white haired person looked at the king in surprise, allowing his hand to be inspected. “May I inquire what you are doing? And who you are?”

“I’ve heard all the legends of the four dragons, I always hoped they were real!”

“Well, of course we’re real!” the man explained, grinning brightly as he displayed his arm. “I am Hakuryuu!”

“Oh boy, here we go…” JaeHa groaned, shaking his head. “Another one of Kija-kun’s lectures…”

“Kija…”

“ShinAh! Show our acquaintance your eyes! This is Seiryuu, he’s been blessed with the sight of the blue dragon! Wait, ShinAh get back here! Don’t run!”

Hak turned to JaeHa, the man shaking his head with a heavy sigh. “Is… it always like this on this ship?”

“How am I to know, they just arrived yesterday morning.” He replied, heaving a deep sigh.

“What do you mean?”

“They arrived with our three comrades who have snuck into Kum-Ji’s base.”

“You’re kidding me.” Hak sighed, shaking his head. “This is ridiculous. Aren’t we supposed to be getting a test?”

“You are. JaeHa, control your companions.” Gi-Gan’s voice rang out. JaeHa sighed again, nodding his head as he walked over, easily separating the supposed white dragon from the person with the mask. The mask was suspicious.

“Kija-kun, leave ShinAh-kun alone. You recall the test we made you go through when you asked to join us?”

“Yes?”

“You two are to assist me in testing these two, please. If you will.”

Hak wondered what sort of test it was. Perhaps it was a battle.

He alone could take all of them down.

 

* * *

 

“Everybody out!”

Yona took a deep breath as the door opened, a man standing in the doorway with a blank expression. She turned her attention to Zeno, the dragon giving her a reassuring smile.

“If you make any noise, you will be killed. Get in line, and proceed ahead.”

She fell in line, Yoon and Zeno behind her. She could feel herself calming already, feel her resolution solidify.

The fight would begin soon. The others would find them. Everything would go according to plan.

She had nothing to fear.


	23. Upcoming Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I told you I would maybe update this when I had motivation to do so, and I held true to my words. Why not start the new year with a new chapter...?  
> Anyway, sorry for it being much shorter than previous chapters. Motivation hasn't settled in full force yet.  
> And sorry for it being non-beta'd.

Yona had realized time had been at a standstill for a while now. It was hard to tell what was going on with a blindfold, tied quite tightly around her head. However, she could still hear. She could hear Zeno's constant low whispers that they'll be fine, could still hear the quiet scared murmurs of the others girls that were captive. And while a part of her was terrified, was unable to believe Zeno, she was calm. Oddly calm.s

It was such a strange thing.

They had been lead into a small room after being pulled from their prison, the men leering at them as they placed blindfolds over their eyes, as they began to say disgusting things. It made Yona sick, made her want to lash out.

And yet she remained silent. She had to remain silent.

“Miss?”

She tilted her head to the left, ever so slightly, listening to Zeno's voice.

“The miss is feeling okay, right? Does Zeno need to do something about this?”

“No, Zeno, I'm fine.” She replied, keeping her voice low. “I'm worried about everyone else...”

“Ah, Zeno see's, Zeno see's. Well,” Yona could hear Zeno shift his weight, the wood beneath them creaking ever so slightly, “it is only natural for the miss to do so. But Zeno promises everything will be fine, okay?”

“I have to agree with the beast,” that was Yoon's voice, on the other side of her. “Everything will be fine, Yona. Just relax.”

“I am relaxed I'll have you know!”

“Has the boat started to move yet, Yellow?” Yoon asked, ignoring Yona's statement. She huffed slightly.

“Zeno thinks so... They must be moving slow, though, Zeno can't feel much rocking.”

She sighed, shaking her head slightly. There was a slight rustling on her right, a soft chatter from the squirrel Yoon had stashed in his dresses top.

"Ao, Ao over here..."

It was time to put the plan into action, she mused. Hopefully, it would be over soon.

 

* * *

 

"ShinAh?"

He turned his head towards Hak, the mask obscuring his face. Hak found it odd if he was being honest, odd that a human would wear a mask. But, he wasn't really going to question it. He seemed like a capable human being, that test they forced upon him and Soo-Won proving his worth. He could trust him, mask or not. Besides, hadn't Kija said something about his village, or his eyes or.... Something.

"I was told to come ask you about ships," Hak continued, watching as the other nodded slightly. "Though, I don't understand how you could possibly know. Do you have some sort of seeing eye glass or something?"

"... No..." ShinAh replied, shaking his head slightly, the bells attached to one of the horns jingling softly. "I can see very far distances..."

"So what is it, some sort of magic?"

No response.

He sighed, shaking his head as he crossed his arms. "... Well? The ships?"

"Ah... They started to move. It will be time soon.... We need to find-"

"ShinAh!"

ShinAh stopped short of what he was saying, turning to look over as JaeHa landed near them, a grin plastered on his face. Hak watched him loop an arm around his shoulder, whisper something before turning and giving Hak a grin.

"I've been looking for you, Hak," JaeHa commented, letting go of a confused ShinAh (at least Hak thought he was confused, it was hard to tell with the mask on his face). He smiled, gesturing behind him. "Your accomplice, Won, has been looking for you. Not sure why, though."

Hak sighed, nodding his head. It was a bit bothersome, he thought, turning to look for Soo-Won, bothersome that JaeHa had interrupted before ShinAh could say whatever name he was about to. Clearly, this person was important though, hadn't JaeHa mentioned that earlier? It would be better if they would just tell him their name, it would make finding them easier, but...

Well, if they were going to keep secrets, then fine. As far as he could tell, Soo-Won had yet to reveal his identity to the pirates, and if he knew what was good for him he never would.

"Ah, there you are Hak!"

Hak looked up from his thoughts, giving Soo-Won a frown as the king rushed over to him with a smile plastered on his face.

"What do you need, Won."

"I was going to tell you about what I learned from Kija," Soo-Won stated, his eyes seeming to sparkle. Hak sighed, nodding his head slightly. Somehow, in the back of his mind, he felt he would regret this.

"Okay, fine, I'll bite. What did you learn from that pirate."

Soo-Won paused, shaking his head quickly. "Well, aside from the fact he's not a pirate, don't you recall? Anyway, do you remember that story we read with Yona ages ago about the four dragon warriors?"

"You mean that old fairy tale we were banned from reading?"

Soo-Won nodded, the smile spreading even wider. "Yes! It's a real story, Hak!"

"Ha."

"I'm being serious!"

"Are you certain? It seems like you're trying to tell lies again."

"I would never lie to you!"

Hak frowned, noting that the words seemed rushed as they came from Soo-Won's mouth. He sighed, shaking it off slightly as he crossed his arms. He didn't have time to worry about it. "Fine. Let's say that I believe you, Won. How could the fairy tale be true."

"The four dragons are real, and so is Hiryuu!"

"Won, that's just a creation myth-"

"No, the legend of the four dragons is true."

That wasn't either of their voices. They both paused, turning as Kija walked up to them. Hak sighed, shaking his head slightly at him before gesturing to his friend.

"Look, I'd appreciate if you would stop attempting to spread lies to this idiots head..."

"I wouldn't dare tell such lies!" Kija retorted, huffing slightly. "The Four Dragons are real. Three of us are on this ship, and the other is with our master."

"You're kidding me."

"No, I am not." Kija huffed again, glaring slightly. He had to admit, the man's glare was slightly unnerving. "The Four Dragons have been waiting centuries to serve King Hiryuu once again. It is our only desire in life! Our ancestors had each drank blood from the four dragon gods, each given something of the dragon to better serve and protect Hiryuu. And finally, Hiryuu has been reborn, so we are given a purpose once again!"

"Fine, I'll play along for a bit," Hak grumbled, sighing heavily. "So, I'm to assume you're supposed to be one of these dragons, then? Or are you just a white snake in disguise?"

"How dare you! I am Hakuryuu Kija!"

"Fine, fine Hakuryuu, not a white snake. You, however, look like a white snake to me," Hak teased, ducking in time to dodge a swipe from the other. "Wow, you actually have white scales. How long did that take you to glue onto your arm?"

"I was born with these scales, you cretin!"

"Hak, can you please try to be nice...?"

He sighed, nodding his head. "Fine. So then what the hell are you four doing here."

"We are assisting the pirates in liberating the people of Awa from Lord Kum-Ji," Kija replied, a slight frown appearing on his face. "Our master decided that is what we shall do. She is with Zeno and Yoon, so she should be fine... But..."

"Who the hell are these people you keep mentioning."

"Zeno is Ouryuu, the Yellow Dragon, or at least we think he is...? No, no he is, he's healed from far too many cuts caused by our master to not be Ouryuu... And Yoon has been keeping us all in line, truth be told. I'm not sure we would have survived, food wise, without him...." Kija fell silent for a moment, sighing heavily. "It's far too amazing what he can cook... I'm certain we would have starved to death by now..."

"... And your master?"

"Ah, sorry. I've been told not to say anything about her, aside from the fact that she was highly persistent in aiding these pirates. My apologies."

Hak frowned, shaking his head. "So you won't say anything about your mysterious master, either? How annoying..."

 

* * *

 

"Quiet, quiet..."

Zeno watched as Yoon got into place beside the door, gesturing slightly to him once he was settled. From the corner of his eyes he could see Yona getting into place, crouching closer to the corner than he was, clutching a rope in her hands. Her eyes were determined, he noted, nodding her head as well as if she had felt his eyes on her. He nodded quickly, lifting his arm and slamming it against the walls of their room of a prison, forcing himself to keep quiet at the pain. It was a shame he didn't have his scales, but considering the cost and the situation...

"Think that was loud enough...?" Yoon whispered, his eyes shifting to glance at the door that stood between them. Zeno nodded, a serious expression on his face as he could hear a confused exclamation from the other side. It wasn't even a minute later that he could hear footsteps shift to check on the room. Yoon took that as a cue to press himself firmly against the wall, lifting a straw to his mouth in preparation.

It was going smoothly enough, Zeno thought, watching as the door was thrown open, one of Kum-Ji's soldiers bursting into the room. Then again, of course it was going smoothly, he was here. How many other times had he done this with the four dragons before? He couldn't remember. He doubt this would be the last time, either.

"Hey!" The soldier yelled, glaring at the girls that still remained sitting on the floor facing the door, the blindfolds remaining on their faces. Zeno watched as he fell somewhat quiet, almost confused. "What's all the commotion?!"

Zeno nodded quickly to Yoon, who blew into the straw, hitting the soldier with a dart in the neck. Perfectly aimed, Zeno noted, as expected of the self proclaimed genius.

"Wh-what was that?!"

It was Yona's turn. Zeno watched as she stood up quickly, yanking on the rope and successfully tripping the soldier. He fell heavily to the ground with a startled yell, turning to glare at Yona with venom in his eyes. He almost jumped in between the two to protect Yona. Almost.

"You little..." He hissed, scrambling to get up as Yona stepped back, appearing to step down. Zeno forced himself not to react as the soldier pulled a dagger from his belt loop, pointing it at Yona. "You think you get away with that and live?! You should have just behaved yourself...!"

Zeno let out a quiet hum, nodding slightly as he clenched his hands together into a fist, stepping quickly to strike the soldier. He grinned as his clenched fists connected with the soldiers head, the man groaning slightly before falling with a heavy thud to the ground. The girls quickly removed the blindfolds, their eyes staring wide at the fallen man.

"Lad, the door...!"

Yoon closed the door quickly, sighing slightly in relief as he turned to face the group.

"Is... is he dead...?" One of the girls asked, getting up slowly.

"No, I hit him with an anaesthetic needle from the start," Yoon replied, walking over to the unconscious soldier and pulling the needle from the back of his neck, a light hum escaping his lips, "so he just fainted. It doesn't take effect right away, so we needed Zeno to knock him out. And the needle isn't very sharp either... Well, at any rate, he won't wake up for another twelve hours."

"The lad is a genius," Zeno hummed, nodding quickly. "Zeno wasn't sure he could knock the man out effectively..."

"For such a weak dragon you did fine you rare beast," Yoon muttered, getting up with a stretch.

"Honestly..."

They paused, turning to look at he same girl as before, the same one who hadn't believed them.

"Are you planning on escaping...?"

Zeno watched as Yona shook her head, the red head taking a deep breath as if to calm her nerves. It didn't do much, though, he noted, watching as the girl shook slightly. He stepped close to her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"You're shaking," the girl grumbled, looking at Yona in surprise. "Aren't you? Why....? Why did you come to help at all...?"

"Letting my comrades know where this boat is located is my job," Yona muttered, sighing heavily as Zeno let go, the girl once again taking a deep breath. "Just hold on, we will help you without fail. I promise."

"We need to move," Yoon stated, dusting his clothes off. "I'm rather certain that ShinAh is watching the ships now, we need to let him know where we are."

"And then Ryokuryuu will be here to fight the lord!" Zeno cheered, throwing his arms in the air. He saw a smile go on Yona's face. Good.

"Alright, Yoon."

"Zeno's coming, Zeno's coming!"

"W-wait!"

The three paused, turning to face the girl again, some memory plaguing her. "I... I will help too."

"Fine. Just don't do anything to ruin the plan," Yoon grumbled, gesturing to the fallen man. "Zeno, do something."

"Fine, fine, give Zeno a moment once the lad and misses are outside," Zeno stated, shifting his weight to get the man up, letting out a groan. He was heavy, and Zeno was weak. What a bother.

"Well, we're lucky..." Yoon sighed, opening the door for Zeno as he dragged the man through, grunting during the process. "It looks like all the main fighting forces have been stationed on other boats..."

"Zeno is not having fun with this, does the lad know this?!"

"Yeah yeah, I'll make sure you have extra food when we get back..." Yoon grumbled, waiting for Zeno to set the man up outside the door. Yona waited for a few moments, turning to tell the girls remaining behind to just stay put for a little while. "From here, we need to get on deck no matter the cost. That means we'll have to find the stairs leading up... And I'm assuming Captain Gi-Gan has already began to move the ship, so we should already be good to head upstairs. The pirates should be enough of a distraction for the officers stationed outside that we should be able to set off the fireworks without too much of a bother."

"Zeno is positive everything will go fine."

"Whatever, you rare beast." Yoon turned to the girl, looking at her with a flat expression as Yona stepped over to them, closing the door behind her. "So, will you be okay? We can't afford to baby sit anyone here, um..."

"Yuri," the woman replied, huffing slightly in indignation. "I can't let children like you do something so dangerous as going up against these officers alone, you know."

"Whatever, I'm Yoon. Like I said, don't do anything to ruin our plan."

"I'm, um, Lina."

"And Zeno is Zeno!" Zeno grinned, bowing slightly. "Ao chewed the ropes, though Zeno thinks Ao is sleeping."

There was a commotion above the deck, startling the four.

"Zeno is to believe that the pirates have begun their attack," Zeno mused, turning to face Yoon. "Does that mean we are ready to get moving?"

"Yes," Yoon muttered, clenching his jaw together. "I'm fairly certain it's time to move. Well, are you all ready?"

"Of course, Yoon!"

"Zeno is ready, Zeno is ready!"

Yuri kept silent, instead nodding her head with a determined look etched onto her face. Yoon took a deep breath, pausing for a moment before turning his attention to the hallway they were in. "Well, I hear people approaching," he muttered, gesturing to the others. "Come on, lets get this started with."

 

* * *

 

"Which one is Kum-Ji?! I'll kill him!"

Soo-Won watched from the corner of his eyes as Kija's arm appeared to grow in size, slashing down various soldiers as they approached. He couldn't help but stand in awe, barely acknowledging the opponent he was fighting.

"Don't make yourself faint, White Snake," Hak commented, causing the dragon to turn on him for a moment. Soo-Won couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head as he knocked down his opponent, turning to face the masked dragon. At least he was certain that one was a dragon. Kija said he was the blue dragon, right?

"ShinAh, do you see your master yet?"

"I don't see her."

"But we have a lot of men here," Hak grumbled, dodging Kija for a moment to look around at their surroundings.

"It seems Kum-Ji has hired a heap of mercenaries," JaeHa commented, landing on top of a man who was sneaking up on Hak. The man, however, fell to the ground with a heavy thud. "Given he's hired so much, I'd say he's serious about crushing us this time."

"Well no shit."

"Hak, be nice!"

Soo-Won stared at them in amazement, stepping back to take in his surroundings. For a moment it almost seemed as if Hak belonged with these men, these dragons of legend.

"You banter like old friends!" Soo-Won mused, grinning as Hak turned to glare at him momentarily. "What?"

"Do not group me with this pervert and the white snake. I'll be fine with the masked one over there, but not those two."

"I am the current Hakuryuu Dragon, you foul beast! Show me some respect!"

"I'm wounded, Hak."

Soo-Won couldn't help but laugh.

He turned his attention to the ship, to the people attempting to gather themselves and strike back against the pirates.

It was clear the battle was just getting started.


	24. Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here is chapter 24! It's a bit delayed, sorry. And it's not as.... Well written as I would like. Sorry, I really suck with writing fights, as well as I don't like writing them.

"The fight with the pirates has finally started, huh?"

"They probably won't even make it all the way over here with that many mercenaries here."

Yoon took a deep breath, pressing himself against the wall. The plan was simple, he reassured himself, Yona and Yuri would make sure that the barrels would fall against these guards while Zeno would make sure they got knocked out and tied up. It would go by flawlessly. All he had to do was his part.

"Oh, definitely."

He took that as his cure, stepping out from his hiding place to be in full sight, waving his hand to catch the men's attention.

"What?! A... A woman!"

Yes, he thought, a smile forming on his face as he turned quickly and ran back towards where the others were waiting. Come follow.

"A woman has escaped!"

"What?! Ah! Wait!"

He ran quickly, feeling a sense of smug satisfaction at his plan. He rounded a corner, pressing quickly against the wall.

"Zeno assumes they fell for it?" Zeno asked Yoon, who stood right beside him, ropes already in hand. Yoon nodded quickly, gesturing slightly to Yona and Yuri, the girls gripping rope as well, but these ones attached to some barrels. They nodded.

"Where did she go?!" Yoon grinned widely, noticing when the men skidded to a halt at the end of the hall, looking around in confusion. Yona and Yuri pulled on the ropes, releasing the barrels as they burst from confinement, rolling into the soldiers. It didn't take long before they were knocked over, trapped underneath the barrels. Quickly, he darted over, pulling another straw from his top, raising it to his mouth to blow on it. With precise aim, the dart flew out, embedding itself into one of the men's necks. Without time to waste he pulled another dart out, fumbling as he attempted to get it in the straw.

"Lad, hurry, hurry," Zeno muttered, approaching silently with his eyes trained on the men, his eyes narrowing as one seemed to stir.

"I'm trying! It's not cooperating with me!" He retorted, flashing a quick glare at the dragon. Zeno sighed, crouching down by the men. He raised his fist, bringing it down quickly on the other man's head, knocking him out cold.

"If you could have done that why were you wasting time telling me to hurry?!"

"Zeno was being a last resort!" Zeno replied. "Zeno encourages the lad to still use the needle, it would keep the mean soldier out longer than just a blow to the head."

"Yeah yeah..."

"That went rather smoothly," Yona muttered, carefully jumping down from her perch, walking over to the two carefully.

"Too smoothly," Yuri commented, looking around nervously. "I don't... Like it."

"No one said you had to," Yoon huffed, sticking the needle in the other man's neck, sighing heavily. "Okay, Zeno, tie them up."

"Should Zeno get them to where the other guard is?"

"No, we can hide them here."

Zeno nodded his head, shifting his weight to push one of the barrels aside, groaning slightly to himself. "Zeno does not like the heavy lifting, you see..."

"I already told you you can eat more when this is over!"

"But Zeno is losing his energy!"

Yoon groaned in annoyance, rubbing his head as he turned to glare at Zeno. "I don't have anything for you to eat right now, you annoying beast! Try to force yourself through this! We have a job to do!"

It took a few minutes for Zeno to comply, carefully setting the two men up against each other, tied up tightly. Yoon nodded quickly, gesturing to the hall. "Okay, we have to get on the deck and set off the fireworks."

"Where do you keep them, Yoon?" Yona asked.

"In my sash. Well, here, I made a few of them, so you can have one as well," Yoon muttered, shifting a bit and pulling the fireworks from his sash, holding them out to both Zeno and Yona. "Just let the end of it be lit by a flame, and it'll go off without problem."

"The lad is a genius," Zeno hummed, taking the offered firework. "Zeno never would have thought of this. Well, maybe. Zeno may have at some point. He doubts it."

"What is that supposed to even mean...?"

"Ah hah, nothing, nothing, don't worry about it."

 

* * *

 

He should have maybe not said anything.

Zeno nodded at Yoon, grinning brightly in a forced optimism as the kid took the lead to the deck, the dragon following closely behind Yona. Truth be told, nothing like this actually came up back in King Hiryuu's time. He had stuck annoyingly close to Abi on the battlefield, making sure she was safe when her power backlashed. He had been forced to remain behind and keep everyone from panicking when Abi was kidnapped. He had dealt with thousands of soldiers, on his own, in what felt like such a short time from when the dragons left the castle to when they died (at least the three were constantly close to each other in their last years).

But fireworks in a mission? Nope, this was entirely new.

"Zeno?"

He looked up, noticing Yoon had stopped. Yona was standing at the base of the stairs leading to the deck, Yoon on the second step, the two looking at him with concern.

"Yes Miss?"

"You fell silent... Are you okay?" Yona asked again, a light frown gracing her face. "This could be scary, I understand if you don't really want to do this, we don't know how many are on deck..."

Zeno froze. And then laughed.

"Ah hah, no no Miss, Zeno is fine, fine! Zeno was just thinking, you see," he quickly affirmed, offering them the brightest smile he could.

How did she do that?

"You are all just children," Yuri grumbled, shaking her head as she crossed her arms, just behind Zeno. Probably in an attempt to claim some sort of adult stance, like a mother hen herding her children to safety, although this wasn't exactly safety and she wasn't exactly a mother hen. Or the adult here.

"We're children with experience," Yoon countered. "We've got to do this, otherwise-"

"Zeno thinks he should do it, actually."

Yoon froze, looking down at Zeno with a wide frown. "What? No, that's a stupid idea."

"Zeno is a much more skilled fighter than the lad and the miss."

"... As much as I hate to say it, Zeno is right..." Yona grumbled, crossing her arms with a huff. "But it doesn't make much sense for just you to go, what if you get outnumbered?"

"The miss is so thoughtful, thoughtful!" Zeno chirped, clapping his hands together. "But Zeno can-"

"Well, in the case of being outnumbered, we'll just have to be backup!" Yona decided.

"Wait, what?"

"H-hey, you're forgetting I'm a pacifist," Yoon panicked, turning to Yona. "I don't believe in fighting!"

"Then you can stay down here."

"Are you kidding me?!"

Zeno laughed, shaking his head slightly. "Zeno is amused, amused! The miss is so courageous and thoughtful! But, Zeno assures you, he will be fine on his own."

Yona turned to him, her eyes seemingly on fire. For a moment he was taken aback, startled at the intensity of the look she was suddenly giving him. "I am not letting you go alone, Zeno." She stated, her voice laced with determination.

_How did she do that? How did she manage to sound exactly like Hiryuu?_

"It's no use arguing with her, Yellow," Yoon sighed. "She's stupidly stubborn. You know this, right?"

"I heard that!"

"Zeno is just worried, worried." He sighed, shaking his head. Well, it wasn't going to do any good to continue to argue against her, he realized, almost as stupid as it was to argue against Hiryuu. He took a deep breath, forcing a bright grin on his face. "Well, then Zeno will have to believe everything will be okay."

"You said everything was going to go according to plan anyway you beast!" Yoon snapped, reaching over and smacking Zeno, a stern glare on his face. "So you damn well better remain sure of that, or we're going to have some issues here!"

"The lad is mean, mean!" Zeno chortled, ducking a swing of Yoon's hand again, bouncing up quickly with a smile. "Okay, okay, Zeno will be serious. Ma'am, you should perhaps go back and keep the other girls safe. Zeno is thinking someone should, just in case. Miss, Lad, you will come with Zeno. The lad needs to light his fireworks, after all."

"Are you sure you three will be alright...?" Yuri asked, looking at the three with a stern glance. "I said I was going to come and-"

"Zeno is positive! The miss and lad are much stronger than they look!"

"Zeno I'm a pacifist why would I fight?!"

"Just in case, just in case." He shook his head, gesturing to the three. "Zeno thinks we should go now, though. So, Ma'am, if you will keep the girls safe...?"

"Fine, I suppose..."

 

* * *

 

 

Yona watched as Yuri turned and walked silently down the corridor, using the wall to keep herself balanced. She took a deep breath, turning back to Zeno and Yoon, clenching her hands into fists. She was going to do what she could, she determined, watching as the smile never once left Zeno's face.

"Okay, ready." She stated, clapping her hands together. "We need to go let ShinAh know where we are."

"Knowing those rare beasts they're probably worried sick by this point," Yoon grumbled, sighing as he took the lead, gesturing to the other two to follow him. "Come on, the stairs up to the deck are this way."

Yona paused, glancing at Zeno's face momentarily. The smile had vanished when Yoon had mentioned the other dragons being worried. She frowned, tilting her head to the side as she followed them. Zeno had mentioned something similar to worrying before, hadn't he? When she was fetching the herbs for Gi-gan? What a troublesome thing...

"You look like you have something on your mind, Miss," Zeno muttered, glancing at Yona quickly.

"Not much. Nothing that can't wait until this is all over..." She replied, watching as Yoon stopped just at the foot of the stairs, his face scrunching as he looked at the trap door that was the only exit to the deck. "I'm trying to concentrate on what we'r doing... We don't have any weapons on us..."

"Ah, Zeno forgot." She turned to him, watching as he pulled a dagger from underneath his sash, handing it to her. "Zeno snagged this from the start, did the miss not know? The miss should use it, just in case, for self defence. Sorry it's not much."

"And what about you?"

"Zeno will be fine, fine."

"Okay you two troublesome beasts," Yoon muttered, turning to look at them. "I think the coast is clear up above. I'm not sure what we're going to be facing, so Zeno should probably go first. He knows more about self defence than I do, and it should give us time to spot an open flame."

Zeno nodded, sneaking past Yoon and up the stairs carefully, gently pushing the latch up. Yona watched as he slowly opened the door, pausing for a moment before nodding quickly and opening it the rest of the way before scrambling up. Yona wondered how he did it, remained so calm while her heart began to pound in sudden fear of what could go wrong.

"Yona, go up quickly."

She nodded, sneaking past Yoon and climbing the stairs as fast as she could, praying that the wood of the ship would not creak under her weight. The fresh salty air of the ocean greeted her face, the sharp clangs of metal on metal filling the air. Thankfully, no one was around at the moment, giving her time to climb on deck, to turn and offer her hand to Yoon.

"Miss, you need to be ready to run," Zeno offered, glancing around quickly. "Ah, there's a lamp over there, by the quarter deck. Quickly, miss, Zeno has a bad feeling about-"

"What the bloody hell?!"

Yona felt her blood chill, turning quickly to spot one of the mercenaries staring at them in blind shock, his face quickly shifting into anger.

"Miss, Lad, run!"

She was rooted to the spot, a cold fear sinking in to her bones. She felt Yoon grab her hand, pull her away and towards the quarter deck, curses hissing from his clenched teeth. This wasn't expected, she thought, this wasn't planned, wasn't part of the deal. It was suddenly too much to handle, and she was scared.

"Now is really not the time for you to freeze on me, Yona!" Yoon snapped, shaking Yona from her daze. "Zeno told us to run! We need to light the fireworks now!"

"S-Sorry Yoon I- Look out!"

They almost ran into a man, one who came from out of nowhere. Fear stabbed at Yona's heart, squeezing tight as she saw more men appear from the darkness, leers on their faces.

"Damn!"

"What the hell, these broads escaped!" One of the voices stated, low and gruff against Yona's ears. She shivered, hearing a thick layer of anger in the voice. "What say we make a show of these ones to the ones below? Who knows how many others managed to escape!"

"What a shame, they're the pretty ones, too. Lord Kum-Ji will be so mad at us."

"There's nothing we can do about-" He didn't finish his sentence, a silver boot landing on his head, sending him crashing to the ground.

Yona gasped in shock, watching as JaeHa straightened himself out, shifting his weight to deliver a swift kick to one of the other men, knocking him into another.

"How ugly," JaeHa's voice drawled.

"W-who are you..." That must be the voice of the one who was knocked over, Yona realized, unable to take her eyes off of JaeHa. How did he get here so fast, neither her nor Yoon lit a firework.

"I'm the pirate who has submerged countless ships, the pirate who dances through the skies." JaeHa began, turning to face the rest of the men. "But, more importantly, you had better not approach me recklessly. I'll kill you. Because I'm no saint who will be able to hold back against you people who dare to try to hurt her."

He launched himself into the air, bringing his foot against another mercenary, a dull crack filling the air. Yona felt herself become somewhat attached to the ground, staring in shock at the dragon.

"... But how did he know..." Yoon wondered, turning to Yona with a confused frown.

"Zeno signalled him."

They spun around, Zeno walking up to them with ShinAh behind him, the yellow dragon wiping blood from his mouth. ShinAh nodded, a feeling of ease settling inside Yona's stomach. "Oh, thank gosh..."

"There isn't much time to feel relieved, Miss," Zeno muttered, his eyes scanning the deck for a moment, darting towards a dropped sword. "The fight is still surrounding us, isn't it? Seiryuu says Hakuryuu is still fighting on the main ship with the rest of the pirates, so we should hurry, hurry."

"Ah, it is..."

"Lad, Zeno suggests you head back down to the girls, let them know everything is going to be okay soon." Zeno instructed, straightening himself and handing the sword to Yona, an unreadable expression on his face. "Miss, you should stay close to Zeno, just in case. Zeno thinks we should quickly find the Lord while he does not suspect much is happening."

"Zeno, you need a weapon."

"Zeno can borrow one of the mercenaries swords!" Zeno chirped, a smile suddenly forming on his face, a sudden wave of calm washing over Yona. "Don't worry, okay? Let us be off! Ah, Seiryuu, you should help Ryokuryuu, it seems there are more boarding the ship, yes?"

"Ah, yes." ShinAh nodded, pulling his sword from off of his back, shifting his weight to join JaeHa's side. Zeno pulled Yona close for a moment, out of ShinAh's way.

"Zeno believes the Lord will be in the captains quarters," Zeno muttered, the unreadable expression returning to his face, the dragon taking a deep breath. "Is the miss ready to go face him?"

She nodded her head, gripping the sword firmly in her hands as Zeno tugged her towards the captains quarters, a heavy weight forming in her chest. It would be the last thing to happen, she mused, the last thing to do to purge the city of his evil presence.

For a moment Zeno froze, turning his head quickly as a glint of silver caught Yona's eyes. She felt herself freeze as a mercenary came from the shadows, charging them.

"Miss, move!"

Was that Zeno's voice? For a split second she forgot what was going on, could only remain frozen in place as her eyes became trained on the sword.

And then it was gone. Zeno was in front of her, shielding her from the attack.

There was a sickening sound that made Yona want to vomit. Zeno went rigid for a moment, almost stumbling back into her. She could hear the mercenary laugh.

Did that sword go through his heart...?

Within a moment the man was on the ground, knocked down by a swift kick. She pulled herself free of her thoughts, her eyes widening in shock as Zeno straightened himself out, coughing slightly as he shifted his weight to kick the man again, this time aiming for his head.

There was a dark red stain on his chest, Yona noted, as Zeno turned around to give Yona a weary look.

"Miss? We need to hurry!"

"Right, right," Yona muttered, forcing her eyes away from the stain, keeping eye contact with him. "Let's find Kum-Ji."

 

* * *

 

Yona saw. She had to have saw, there was no way she couldn't have.

Zeno wasn't expecting it, the mercenary to come out of nowhere, aiming a sword at Yona. He panicked, and instead of pulling her out of the way like he had mentally prepared himself to do, instinct took over, and he put himself in front of Yona, like he had put himself in front of Hiryuu all those centuries ago. Though instead of like all those years ago, there was no Guen to push his hand through the enemies chest, there was no Abi to make him freeze in place, there was no Shuten to yell at him to stop being useless.

It was just him. And he got stabbed.

He lead Yona towards the captains quarters, dodging arrows from their sources, pulling Yona down in safety of the shelter. The girl nodded her head, gripping her sword tightly as they walked along the wall. On occasion, Zeno pressed his ear against the wall, shaking his head and pulling Yona further into the darkness, pausing.

Here.

"Miss..." He muttered, looking at the young girl, his face serious. "This one. Be prepared to fight when I open the door..."

She nodded her head, her eyes lingering on his chest momentarily. He felt a sudden flush of panic spring in his chest, turning quickly and pulling the door open quickly.

"What idiot mercenaries I hired, letting two of the merchandise run around free......"

Kum-Ji's voice was thick with... Something. It made Zeno's skin crawl, the hair stand on the back of his neck. He stood in the door, staring down the lord, Yona stepping in behind him.

"How did you two gems manage to escape?" He drawled, his eyes narrowed at them.

There was a sudden prick in the air, a feeling Zeno hadn't felt in a while. He didn't need to look, could tell Yona's eyes were on fire. It was the same sensation he felt when he (attempted) to fight along side Hiryuu, the same energy, the same determination as then. He watched as Kum-Ji froze, his eyes trained on Yona as she stepped forward, lifting her sword.

"You are a stain on this world, Lord Kum-Ji," she stated, her words confident of themself, sure. "You are a stain and you will be removed so this town can thrive again."

"What is a little girl such as yourself going to do?"

"I'll kill you."

Without hesitation, she plunged the sword into the lord's chest, square over his heart. Zeno watched in a frozen stated of fascination, barely flinched at the sound.

He was used to it by now.

Zeno watched as Yona used her weight to thrust the sword deeper into the lord's chest, the lord still frozen in shock as she let go, stepping away. It was silent in the room, the sensation of Yona's determination practically coating the walls.

Without a word she turned to him, grabbing his hand and led him out, a quiet gasp escaping the lord's mouth.

"Zeno."

"Miss, should we not wait to kill him...?"

"No, he's dead. The sword wouldn't come out, anyway... And even if it did, he'd bleed too much to..."

".... You killed a human, miss. How do you feel?"

Yona was quiet for a moment, her face blank. "Hollow. I know he had to die, but... I feel hollow. Never mind that, Zeno, there's something... Else...."

"Yes?"

"Zeno."

Zeno paused for a moment, looking up at Yona as she turned to face him, staring down at him, her eyes scanning his body. He felt his stomach clench together at that moment, a cold knot twisting his insides around. He knew what was coming. "Yes, Miss?"

"You should be dead, too..." Yona replied, her eyes lingering on the rip in his shirt, just over his heart. She reached out, pulling the shirt away from his chest to reveal the perfectly smooth skin underneath, the blood still wet against his skin.

The knot twisted itself tighter, causing him to feel somewhat nauseas. "Z-Zeno assures the miss, Zeno is fine. Nothing happened. The sword missed, missed!"

"You told us if you were stabbed you would die."

"Zeno said that?"

"It went through your heart, Zeno. The rip is there on the dress, and yet..."

He felt himself panic. Yona's words spun around him, grabbing onto him and tugging him in different directions. He spun lies. He told too many of them, and now...

"Why aren't you dead...?"

And now they were falling apart.

".... Miss.... Ouryuu's ability isn't... Fast healing..."

He felt the words swell in his throat, felt the sudden weight of them in the air. He looked away from Yona, forcing himself to swallow, to keep his heart from racing faster in his chest.

"Zeno...?"

"Zeno... can't die. Ouryuu is the dragon with the immortal body... Zeno didn't want..."

".... You didn't want to worry us, right...?"

He remained silent, refusing to look at her. Refusing to listen to the words that flowed from her mouth that made him feel worse than he already did.

"You know you can trust us, right...?"

".... It's not that easy, Miss... It's not that easy..."


End file.
